I shall be freed from Fate
by manram
Summary: What has a ex-Sith to do when he is alone with a very strange woman who asks him to do a mission, in return to be surely returned with the woman he loves? If that Sith is Galen Marek, makes the most ammount of damage possible in the least of time, during the War for a soul desire, where he will make his enemies (and even allies) tremor in their boots! Xover between: TFU; F/SN; HP
1. Ave alla pazzia!

_A few hours (or days, months or, if this is going to be liked, years) ago_

 _In a very near place (or very far away place)_

 _An italian idiot had a very stupid idea_

 _Combine Star wars with fate_

 _That was the start of his first story in the universe_

 _I shall be freed from Fate_

 _(very cool name, don't cha say?)_

 _A story that will probably be renowned for its own uglyness_

 _Be prepared, you who click this story, for you will be greeted by a maniac!_

 _(this story can cause awesomeness, sadness, happyness and all type of ness you can think_

 _Please don't read if you expect a Sirius story)_

 _Manram_


	2. The Servant Sheet: Galen Marek

**Here is the Servant sheet of Galen Marek. I tried to not overpower him too much, but I could have been a bit too much generous with them. But we have to remember that Galen Marek is a monster even in the novels, able to fight and win against Vader at 17, and Vader is not someone to scoff at, and he was able to stall time against the Emperor, really not something to scoff at. Even then, he was able to defeat waves of enemies alone, something that not a lot of Jedi or Sith were able to do, so this is the results of my ruminations.**

 **AND there is Irisviel von Einzbern, an homunculus, with their enormous prana production capabilities. For these things the stats are so high.**

 **He, to sum up, can stomp over a lot of enemies.**

 **Here the sheet:**

Servant : **Galen Marek**

Master: Irisviel von Einzbern

Class Avenger **/Savior**

Alignment: Neutral Good **/[Neutral Evil]**

Rank

Strength : E - **B (B+)**

Agility : E - **B+ (B++)**

Endurance : E - **A+ (A++)**

Mana : E - **EX (EX times 2) (I know EX is already incalculable, but the abilities raise them nonetheless)**

Luck : E-/ **A++**

Noble Phantasm: **A++/EX**

 _Avenger: E-_

 **Even with his history, at the end Galen forsook the path of the Avenger. At this rank he will not gain anything.**

 _ **Self-Replenishment (mana): EX**_

 **It's strongly tied to his abilities as a Force user, so his N.P. hid this class ability.**

 _Indipendent action: EX_

 **He just doesn't need a master after being summoned, and can resupply himself with prana using his own skills**

 _Magic resistance:_ _ **C+**_

 **Cancel spells with a chant below two berses. Cannot defend against magecraft on the level of** _ **High Thaumatugy**_ **and** _ **Greater Rituals.**_ **He has a remarkable resistance to Force-based abilites.**

 _Precence concealment: B_

 **It becomes B+ by using the Skill Illusionism.**

 _Riding: B_

 **The skill becomes A+ ranked if using the Force to link with even Phantasmal and Divine beasts, but while riding them Galen is unable to use other abilities of the Force**

Personal skills

 _ **Double Class**_

 **Galen has All the classes possible skills, but they have or be able to be used during his life.**

 **Personal skills**

 _Magecraft?: %0/£(_ _ **(anti-unit/anti-army/anti-fortress)**_

 **There is no limit to the power of the Force**

 _ **Charisma: C**_

 **Being the first figure-head of a revolution that destroyed the galactic empire, AND being the greatest martyr of this rebellion, the death of Marek is cried every galactic year, and the simbol of his family is used as the republic emblem. There is also the fact that he is empathetic, and that help a lot his Charisma rating.**

 **The rank would be higher, but for his young age and overall inexperience to lead, even with his natural skills, is C rank.**

 _ **Eye of the mind (False and True)/Instinct (A rank)/Clairvoyance: E/EX**_

 **A Force user has often visions, and can use it to even knows the actions of his enemy before they happens, and he is by no means stranger in desperates combat situations (eye of the mind part and instinct), but Galen, even though his young age, is able to know everything that happens everywhere in the galaxy, like when he searched for the senators and found them in the Death Star, but he has to be outside of combat and meditating. But he could have vision in the middle of combat, and for this give a free shot to the enemy, and Galen is not in control of what he see, so he might be able to know everything everwhere everywhen, but he isn't trained to look for them cosciuosly if not a few moments before they happen. So he won't be omniscient, sorry.**

 _ **Illusionism: D**_

 **The skill that denotes the excellence (pftttt) in the art of illusion; but because Marek is like the Naruto of Starwarsverse, he is only able to conceal himself he does. But his light tricks are** _ **very**_ **real. While using this skill isn't possible use other abilities of the force** _ **or**_ **attack.**

 _ **Protection from arrows: B**_

 **Nothing to say, he can deflect** _ **a laser machine gun fire without looking**_ **and he can** _ **catch missiles through the force**_ **. Me thinks he is good with this skill**

 _ **Master tactics: C+**_

 **He was taught by Kota during his Jedi training, and Kota trained him for he was a general (a drunken general, but always a general). And before that he was an assassin, who used all the possibilities to kill his target, for this he can make battle-plan for ten-thousands or less armies, and prepare for a battle before it.**

 _ **Hacker: D+**_

 **Sometimes he didn't have support from the pilots of the Rouge Shadow to gain important details, so he needed to hack the computers. All the experience gained by hacking military grade (for a Tyrannical galatic empire is a very high grade), has made him a pretty good hacker. Not the best in the Galaxy (this title is for the droids) but so good that all the computers in Earth in front of him will surrender after few tries.**

 _ **Taunting: D [B]**_

 **Even if the Sith name it Dun Moch, is basely a heavy, fucking, rage giving taunting. Even Starkiller had the basics for it, and he uses it not only in combat but even in every day life to train it and for his own amusement . At this rank the taunted will be** _ **very**_ **tempted to attack him, even lethaly, if they are not not in a combat situation. If the taunted, in combat situation, then the problems legated with rage come in: high blood pressure, tick marks, and a high probability to make mistakes.**

 **The rank is so low because Galen usually lacks the will of going through the actions that should make his taunting really effective, and is against his behavior to even talk during a fight. Before that not.**

 _ **The favorite of the Force: EX**_ **  
Galen, being in life one of the children of the force, was insanely powerfull in it. With this skill, the burden upon the summmoner is near to zero, but at the expence of a EX rank indipendent action (and there are a lot of other pretty things that I won't say now)**

 _ **Divinity: B**_

 **In unknown means, he has divine blood in his veins. Is ranked B for ?**

 _ **Swormanship: B/B+**_

 **Galen, even though he was young, was an excellent swordman, able to go toe to toe with Darth Vader, one of the best duelist in history, and to create his own style. If he lived longer, much longer, he probably would have usurped Tulak Hord of the title of the best swordman.**

 **For his style is higly irregular fighting style and the fact that is studied purposely to hunt sword's users, his rank go up against opponents that use ortodoxes styles.**

Noble Phantasms

 _ **The Mutinous Blade of the of the Sith Lord: B (support)**_

 **An assassin, even one who rebelled against his masters, will always be an assassin. Conceive all their abilities even to their own masters, giving them only the necessary. With a Sith Assassin this is doubled. THEN there is the little fact that Galen come from the space, and this noble Phantasm bacome really difficult to overcome if not helped by Galen himself or his Master.**

 **With this NP the stats, all the skills and other noble phantasms, even his name, are unknownable by the other Masters, and even his own Master will be unable to know the skills and the Noble Phantasms if not seeing them in the first place.**

 **But this noble phantasm is susceptible to the Dream Cycle, so the Master of Galen will be able to know bit of this sheet only by dreaming his past.**

 **(FOR THE READER THE THINGS THAT ARE HIDDEN FROM ALL ARE WRITTEN IN BOLD)**

 _ **(The Sith Lord: A (support)[abilty])**_

 **(With the light there is always dark. Even with his decisions in life, the Dark Side will always continue to try to take Galen, and sometimes his own anger will trigger this state, that assures an** _ **enormus**_ **gain in stats, offset by the very change in the behaviour and his style of fighting, and after the end of his state of rage, he will be weakened for a time).**

 _ **Starkiller's instruments of trade: E+ (support) [equipment]**_

 **Do you need hacker instruments? He has it. Do you need comlinks? No problem. Holocomunicators? Sure, he has them. The missions of Starkiller weren't only assassinations, and he needed all these instruments to finish the missions. It contains:**

 **Portables holocomunicators: 3**

 **Comlinks: 4**

" **Wrist attached thingy of eletronic wonders": or in other words "the wet dream of all the hackers", big roughly as a wristwatch is a super computer that Galen uses to hack even military level computers, and it has the normal (for a super computer) applications of a computer: 1**

 **Holocamera: it can work in tandem with the holocomunicators: 1**

 **Electro-binoculars: an type of binocular, with night and thermal vision, informations about the range, and an incredible zoom: 1**

 **Bugs: bugging devices not traceable, with microphones and minicameras installed: 5**

 **The Remembrance of the Beaten: Kyber crystals of enemies force users, collected by Galen as proofs of their demise and to replace the one in his lightsaber if it ever broke and needed quickly a focus.**

 _ **Luck of the hero: E-/A++ (support) [ability]**_

 **The law of Murphy said "All that can go wrong, will go wrong". The Potter addendum was "At the worst time possible". The Marek inclusion was "against the worst enemy possible at the time". But if it's like this, why does this servant have an A++ rank?** **The LUCK Stat doesn't only mean the overall Luck of the Servant (but it's a part of it) but the ability to overcame fate itself. And the little boy who created what would become a fully succeful revolution against the masters who wanted to use him has overcome Fate in the most spectacular way possible.**

 _ **Genius of the Force: A (support) [ability]**_

 **You must be thinking "what the hell does this NP mean?" This NP simply recognizes the ability of Galen to understand instinctively the most incredible and difficult ways of the Force: like when in the space of months he was able to defeat Vader and seemengly Sidious from being utterly destroyed by Vader alone; or by the fact that at the age of 17 he defeated an accomplished Jedi Master of the Council, Shaak Ti; or even by his learning powerful abilities like the Force Maelstorm as easy as anything. With this NP his ability to learn is even more emphasized, rendering him truly a monster in this field.**

 _ **Rouge shadow: A (anti-unit/anti-army/anti-fortress) [weapon]**_

 **A very sophisticated sperimental spaceship, with many hidden laser cannons, and a lot of other pretty things. Coupled with Galen's ability as a pilot it's a very fearsome weapon to face. But when it's used Galen can't use other abilities other than those passive.**

 _ **Galen Marek lightsaber: A (anti-unit) [weapon]**_

 **An elegant for civilizied times, in the hand of a trained jedi is better then platoons of soldiers. In the hand of Starkiller is better than entire armies, and it will damage every Noble Phantasm B rank or inferior, and outright destroy it if D rank or lower.**

 _ **The Rage of the Wrath's lord: EX (anti-unit/support) [ability]**_

 **The fury is great in the force**

 **If you can help me better this sheet, please review.**

 **Manram**


	3. Chapter 1: from Ashes

_? POV, ? time, ?_

"You know, I expected being dead would be a lot better" Said the ticked off young man.

Oh, it was better than the painful feeling of having _your own flesh_ burnt of by a pissed Dark Lord, and _surely_ it was better than a lot of places he had been, but really!

"Like 'Being one with the force' and 'rejoin the loved ones who died before you'. Even a long sleep would be better!" Then the young man looked down, to his interlocutor.

The person who the young man was talking was a woman in her first twenties, blond with blue eyes, who was faintly amused by the person in front of her.

"But think how much I was surprised to see that when I died where I went isn't all above, but only a white chamber with nothing around for parserks with a Juno look-a-like that's grinning! And I am fucking naked! Have I sinned so much that all that I would have to die for boredom?" It was sarcastic, but if you looked underneath that there was a lot of sadness and even longing to the woman, but he wasn't embarassed. Or not a lot. Only a little tiny wee part of him, the one not crushed with training, pain, and living in the ship with Kota. Above all the last one, having a drunken Jedi who was your father figure in the same ship with the woman you were attracted did nothing good for him, but a lot for bad jokes and terrible puns did a lot for not having more shame to show.

The woman smile widened and then said;" Like you said, i'm not Juno Eclipse, and I have taken this form for ease you, my child"

"Then change it! I hate illusions! Damned Phobos was enough!" He was a bit exasperated, but strangely not overly angry.

"Of course, of course, my child" and the the woman changed her form.

Now in front of the young man there was a beautifull woman, with long brown hair and green eyes, dressed with long to the feet, brown robe, who was smiling blissfully at the young man.

"Now is this form more in your taste, my son?"

"Yes. A lot. Why didn't you take it before? Did you want to watch me squirm because I was naked in front to the woman that I love?"

"It wasn't exactly my objective, but I would have loved to see my son cover his little baby-maker in front of me"

"Two things: one; why am I really naked, and two; why are you calling me 'son'?" asked the youngling

"Because you are my son, like every sensitive born after that wretched event, when all those who heard my voice became silent, all who I touched became cold, all who I loved became hated." Here she was gloomed, but then looked at the man in front of her, and a smile full of love

But you, my child, my son, my beloved Galen, have returned hope, have lightened again the will to fight, have showed that the Empire can be defeated, that even the Dark side is against that tiranny! That is possible for the Force to be unified!…"

"But why am I naked?" asked Galen dryly.

"…"

"The first question is the important question. Could you say why am I in the nude in front of you?"

"… Can't a mother see her son like this?" wondered the woman, looking to the side, with faint traces of red on her cheeks.

"No. That's wrong on so many levels that even I can see them" replied Galen, rubbing his temples for the incoming headache.

"Why don't you ask the cause for you are here?!" Demanded the woman, trying desperately to steer the conversation to the real argoment.

"'Cause you are going to say that to me regardless if I ask you or not. Or am I wrong?" answered cheekily Galen, amused by the reaction of the woman.

The woman frowned (she didn't pout!) and imperiously said:" I have called you, beloved child, for an important mission, which will have the fate of a world at the stake, that only you can do, that will define the destiny of all the multiverse!"

Galen raised a brow and said, unbeliving: "So you brought me from the force to do this mission… There weren't others more suited for this? Like Revan, the hero of Tython or the Exiled? Like them?"

He immediatly knew he did something _very_ wrong when the eyes of the woman became like a doe and big, undropped tears at the side of the eyes.

Then two twins lines of tears began to shed and she said pitifully:" You won't *hic* help me when I asked? Have *hic* I been a bad mother? *hic* Now I will stay here, broken by the selfishness of my child!" she started crying a lot and a little puddle started to form at her feet.

Galen Marek looked at the scene with an eyebrow raised, with an internal war going on in his mind, with one side, his Jedi side, wanting to help her on this mission, the other, the paronoid one, aka the one-who-was-killed-slash-betrayed-by-the-same-person-three-times side, was justly distrustful towards the woman, even he didn't feel any phisical or psicological or even Forcial sign of deception from the woman herself, because of the power she showed towards him, so, even if he did want to help, he really didn't want to be in a worse situation after all of this, regardless if he accepted or not. So he asked something that he wanted to know above all else:

"Would I be reunited with Juno after this work?" he asked, dead serious.

After all Juno was the woman who metaphorically and phisically saved him, the woman who, even with all he had done, loved him and the woman he mutually loved.

The woman, still having two rivers of tears going down on her cheeks, nodded in a very notable way. So Galen took his decision, and, closing his eyes, sighed:

"*Sigh* stop sulking, lady, I will do it" . If Galen had opened his eyes, he would have seen the woman doing a little victory dance, with the tears forgotten, even when he opened his eyes and stare at her.

And there he knew he had been swindled all the time, but he didn't let it disturb him; after all, it was only a mission, an entire world would be ended if he didn't help, and he would gain with this, so he asked, calm:

"So, what is my mission?"

"Weeelll..." she started, but was interrupted by a tremor that shook all the place, making Galen unstable on his legs. He looked at her, allarmed, and screamed over the noise:

"What's happening?!" the woman smile became unreadable and she only said:

"Remember to call yourself 'Avenger' and ask to the white haired woman if she is your master, and good luck, son"

"What the Maws is with your swings?! And what do you mean with 'Avenger'?! Even better, what's my miss..." and he vanished mid sentence from the white place.

The woman looked at the spot where was Galen and then a tear, a little, true tear started to go down her check. She caught it with her hand, and she said, regreful:

"I'm sorry to deceive you, brother" .

 _In the meantime, with Galen_

"IOOOOOOOOONN!"

 _In the meantime, somewhere in Germany, Einzbern's church_

 _ **Let silver and steel be the essence**_

Now there was no returning. Now his- _their_ dream would be fought. Now was the beggining of the end of the suffering

 _ **Let stone and the archduke of contracts be the foundation**_

This is what Emiya Kiritsugu was thinking while summoning his Servant, in the cold church of the Einzeberns

 _ **Let rise a wall against the wind that shall fall**_

' _All the killing I've done to protect the innocent'_

 _ **Let the four cardinal gates close**_

An imagine of his father, Emiya Noritaka, dead, killed by his own hand, appeared in his mind, the person who started his path marked by blood and murder

 _ **Let the three-forked road from the crown reaching unto the Kingdom rotate**_

' _The brutality I was forced to use'_

 _ **Let it be declared now**_

The innocents, the fathers, the mothers and the children he was forced to slay, transformed in abominations by deranged Magi or used to take down his target, and above all the memories a young, cute girl, her last moment begging him to kill her

 _ **Your flesh shall serve under me, and my fate shall be with your sword**_

' _All the innocents and loved ones that've been sacrifaced for the greater good'_

 _ **Submit to the beckoning of the Holy Grail**_

The memories of Natalia, just before he took down the jumbo, for the greater good, and of Sherley, who was the first one he lost in his path

 _ **Answer, if you would submit to this will and this truth**_

' _And I_ will sacriface _for my ideal'_

 _ **An oath shall be sworn here**_

His eyes strayed to his wife, his beatifull wife, who at the end of this war will die, for this is what she was created for: be the lesser grail, for the Einzebern to reattain the third sorcery.

 _ **I will be all that is good in the eternal world**_

The stone of the ring that she had around her finger, that with the light of the ritual reflected red light, full of her passion, and symbol of their union.

 _ **I will be the disposer of evil in the eternal world**_

Its brother was around his ring-finger, and it reflected a calm and cold blue light, like himself, who, despite hating what he was doing, he would do it nevertheless.

 _ **You, clad with the great trinity, come from the circle of constraint**_

Looking to the altar, where Avalon, the sheath of the King of knights, Arthur Pendragon, he thought: _'Please, don't let this be in vain!'._ Iri made a pained sound in the back, but it could be the sound of the ritual that he was doing.

 _ **Guardian of the Heavenly scales!**_

Light. Lot of it, so much thaat he had to shield his eyes. Then a young, _female_ , voice was heard:

' _I ask you, are you my Master?'_

Kiritsugu looked at Arthur Pendragon, or who he should have summoned from Avalon, and this was what came into his mind at first when looking at _her:_

' _Tiny and female, like we saw'_. Then he remembered what he should say, and responded, in his other tone, the dead, emotionless tone of the assassin:

' _Yes, and are you Arthur Pendragon, King of Knight and ruler of England?'_

The blond swordman- _woman_ -'s green eyes widened, and after some moments, she said:

"Yes, my name in life was indeed Arturia Pendragon, ruler of England, but I would prefer if you called me Saber, Master" .

"Hmm" was the positive answer of Kiritsugu, in his 'work' persona.

Saber then watched around her, to turn around after a few second, a very visible red blush one her cheeks.

Iri, corcerned, asked:" Is something wrong, Saber?"

"Master, I don't know if I haven't received all the knowledge from the Grail or if is something else, but…"

"But?" asked Kiritsugu, a bit inquisitive of what has troubled his Servant.

She pointed to the first lines of pews, and said:" Is normal to be in a church naked in this period?"

They whipped around and found a young man, sit on a pew in the first row, his swimmer body covered by scars, with only his crossed legs to cover his private parts. He noticed that they were looking at him, baffled by his appereance, and with a wave of the hand he said, with a calm voice:

"Yo"

 _Galen POV_

' _Where in the force am I?'_ was the first thought that had Galen.

' _Why am I still naked?'_ was the second, while there was a visible tick on his eyebrow.

' _Really. Why in the allmighty Force am I still naked?!'._ The fact of being naked _even now_ was a bit annoying, this coupled with the not-so-little fact of still not knowing what his mission was. For now he would have to improvise, and then collect informations about the current situation of where he was and what was happening.

Getting out of his musings he turned his head and saw three people looking at him, bewildered by his apparation. Smiling slightly and waving his hand he said:

"Yo" .

The blond haired woman was the first one to recover and asked, stone faced:" Who and Why are you here, scoundrel! Or rather, why are you here naked, depraved?!"

"For the naked part, even I don't know why I am naked, little spitfire" . At the little adjective she shook with rage.

"For the 'Who and Why are you are here, scoundrel'" here he used an high pitched voice, and the little woman shook a bit more:

"I answered your summoning, and now I am here" he continued, following the few, poor and insufficien informations given by the lady (who he still didn't know her name, but he had suspicions) and the words said by the blonde, tiny woman.

Then he pointed at the white haired woman and asked in the most serious tone he coul muster:

 _Kiritsugu's POV_

" _White Lady, are you my Master?"_

Irisviel blinked, blinked another time and once more, and then said:

" _EHHHH_ _?! NO WAYYYYY!"_

The man blinked and asked:" Are you sure?"

"Yes!" she responded, nodding quickly

"How?" he inquired.

"Because I don't have Command Seals, silly!"

"Ehhh~! What do I do now?" the man wondered.

While Pincopanco and Pancopinco were doing this, Kiritsugu and Saber were following the action, one faintly amused and the other annoyed. A bit inquisitive Kiritsugu looked at Iri'back of the right hand and blanched. With a shaky voice he asked to his wife:

"I-Iri, since when did you have command seals?"

"Eh, Kiritsugu, you dummy, I didn't ever have Command! Look at the back of my-" then she noticed them.

Angry red. Lines of a vivid red were just tatooed at the back of the hand, in the form of two wings opened, a four pointed star in the middle, and a line that went through it.

She felt dazed. She asked, light-headed to Kiritsugu:" So now I am a Master, am I not, Kiri?"

"Yes!" replied the Servant, for it's what he was, pleased with his eyes closed, and with a cheerful tone he continued "Servant Avenger at your service, White Lady!" .

Iriviel at the mention of the Servant's class, fainted, quickly supported by Kiritsugu.

The Servant, confused, looked at an open-mouthed Kiritsugu and a dazed Saber and asked:

"Have I said something wrong?" said the bemused Servant, for then looking down to himself asked, surrendered:

"Do you have something to cover me, please?"

 _An hour after, Kiritsugu's POV_

Kiritsugu, Saber and Avenger were in the middle of a half-moon shaped council, with three rows one upon the other, and in the highest sit there was the head of the family: Jubstacheit von Einzbern. Iriviel was in their room, resting.

The old man was openly frowning to the three in front of him, specifically he was frowing to the male Servant, while Kiritsugu was finishing reporting the summoning:

"To summarize Saber is an high class Servant, the one that we wanted to summon, while Avenger is below average at best and the only thing that is strange are his multiple Classes skills. But his Indipendent Action is the most problematic issue, for it's ranked EX" .

"So we have another useless Servant to fight for this war. Fortuitously the summoning of the strongest Servant, King Arthur, has gone as planned, but now we must discuss what we must do about this sub-par Servant 'Avenger'" .

"Oh, I like the colour of the walls, it's a nice addendum to the frosty personality of the people here" said Avenger, now dressed with a black t-shirt under a black leather jacket, his legs were covered with trousers, black and leather even them, and black boots **(NDA:people, if you want the easy way to imagine it, it's very similar to the TIE uniform of SWTFU II)** , uncaring about the talk about him.

"Should we use Command seals on him? He could always be useful and the Vessel should be able to bind him with her power" said a man in the middle row

"The chains of the chandelier look a bit weak, shouldn't you replace them?" asked innocently Avenger, continuing to needle the member of the council and making one end of Kiritsugu's mouth go up for a second, for then being immedietly crushed by his personality.

"Maybe we should kill him using the Comand Seals! After the horrible display of power of the last one, we can't let pass another smear to our reputation, even with the likehood to win gained by the sucessful evocation of king Arthur!" said a young man in the lowest row, a pridefull looking individual with contemptuous sneer.

Before Jubstacheit could amend the rash judgment made by the younling, Avenger said: "Oh, look at the curtains, lovely!" .

This comment, which made Kiritsugu smirk a bit more, is what made the the young man explode:

"Why you! A weak Servant of your cursed class having a plaything as a Master! How dare you not respect your better, even when we have let you live until now! Maybe we should take the arm of the homunculus and order you to disappear" .

Jubstacheit tried to reprimand the boy, while his glare coupled with Saber's one made the boy draw back, and Jubsacheit prepared to repriman the young man, but...

But then an _enormous_ pression fell upon the council, stopping their breathing. The only ones that weren't taken down by the pression were Kiritsugu and Saber, but one was starting to sweat and to activate his circuits and the other summoned her sword to prepare for a fight. All the presents attention went to Avenger, who was walking slowly towards the one who had talked.

He was smiling sweetly, so sweetly that was unnerving, and he was staring into the eyes of the child that had talked. The Einzbern pressed his back against the lavish chair, looking at those brown eyes, blazing like they were litteraly lit with power, and when Avenger was in front of him, with an unnerving smile and his blazing eyes, he almost soiled himself.

Then Avenger patted his head.

No, really, he started patting his head.

The pression became a strange feeling, a feeling of slight awe, understanding and peace filled Kiritsugu and Saber even smiled for this sentation, and then Avenger said to the now happy young man:

"Good, good, child" , and then he turned his head towards Jubstacheit and said, with a strong and inspirer voice:

"You should motivate this type of thinking, not stomp on them, such frankness is unfortunatly very uncommon in men of power. A little part of me is even proud of this type of way of thinking, maybe a memory of my past" then started to rub the cheek of the young man.

Saber became alerted. She had already heard this type of speach…

"But a larger, much MUCH larger part, _**IS FUCKING PISSED OFF!**_ " and his hand smashed open upon the Einsbern jaw and grabbed it in a steel grip, breaking bones and letting blood through his finger.

With the same hand he pulled him and slammed him upon the stone floor, breaking it with a resounding *Crack!*.

The feeling of dread from before returned tenfold. Even Saber and Kiritsugu, used to death on the battlefield, were on their knees, trembling like leaves in the autumn wind, and Kiritsugu felt his skin becoming hot, hotter than he ever felt. All the council's members sans Jubstacheit soiled themselves and passed out, but Jubstacheit wasn't faring so much better, because he was so much hardened that he had to see all that was in front him. But the worst was the poor soul in the hand of the Avenger.

The ill-fated sod, after being dazed by the hit upon the head, opened his eyes and in front of him there was a demon: an aura of darkness was around him, twisting like a black flame, the hand that kept him in a vice grip started to burn his sking from a strange type of heat, and _its_ eyes, its eyes!

The capillaries were black, his skin became of an unnatural pale and the iris was of an hungry, sick, sulfuric yellow.

 _It_ said in a extremely grave, dark, angered and _famished_ voice:

" _ **You insult me, and I can let it pass; You spit upon my abilities and I can let it pass; You even would try foolishly to control me, and even that I can let pass. But what I won't never, ever, let pass is when someone I swear to protect is threatened. When someone threatens them, I become angry. And when I become angry, I kill the thing that made me angry in the worst way possible**_ "

"Please, Mercy! Please" choked out the now defunct man, seeing all the possible ways to his death in the span of seconds.

" _ **Did you ask me mercy after you said that you would chop the arm of my protégé? After you said that she was a thing? You really ask me mercy?**_ "

Then _It_ let go. The gratefull corpse said, in a whisper:

"Thank you, o mercyfull-"

" _ **Don't thank me. After all you are going to suffer a worst destiny than simple demise**_ " .

 _Its_ hand became coated of a strange purple light and violet lighting sparked and hit the body.

An inhuman scream came from it when it started to decompose and become dust, all the while the _demon_ remained silent. After the screams subsided _it_ looked curious to _its_ arm and wondered:

" _ **What are these?**_ " and then the impossible happened.

Kiritsugu felt his skin become hotter than before, and Jubsacheit turned toward the Servant incredoulous. After a few moments _it_ started to rub _its_ cheeks in a pensitive manner and then said:

" _ **Interesting, very interesting. This needs further observations. But now there is one last thing**_ " and he looked from the frozen Jubstacheit to the equally paralysed Saber and Kiritsugu. It said, with its Death's voice:

" _ **Be this an example of my wrath, and what will fall upon you if you dare harm or even desire to harm tho**_ se that I protect" . Then _its_ eyes closed and when he opened them they were back to brown. He turned towards the door, and, after he opened it, he said, with his voice returning normal:

"I would say it was a pleasure to be in your precence, but I don't like to lie. You will find me in the library of this place to get informations, fortunately I saw where it was _one hour ago_ before you dragged me to this useless council. "then Avenger stormed off.

 _Galen's POV, two hours later, Einzbern's library_

We find Galen sat behind a desk, covered by open books old and new, chosen for the argument he was searching about by the free use of the Force, more in particular the Sight (the little he could use), making a written summary of what he found using papers scattered around and a pencil:

' _So in this 'Grail war' there are seven Servants, spirits of 'heroes', tied in this plan by seven Master that feed them 'prana', these Servants come from the 'Throne of heroes', the Root of the World, or Akasha…'_ Here Galen stopped his written summary and whispered, intrigued:

"So they call the Force 'Akasha'. Interesting." , afterward he continued to read his summary:

' _These 'Servants' are usually divided in seven classes: Saber, the Servant of the sword, widely consideraded the best Servant, Archer, the Servant of the bow, the only long ranged warrior of the war and the most unpredictable of all, Lancer, the Servant of the spear and the fastest of all the seven. These three make the knight classes, the ones that will not in any case use mortal souls to prey for prana.'._ Galen murmured:

"This makes 'Saber' the most powerfull class of the war?" He looked towards the end of a bookshelf, and saw a tuft of blonde hair.

Galen sweatdropped, and said in a higher voice:

"If Saber's abilities with her sword are as bad as hers spying she is sooo defeated" . For his own amusement the wisp of hair started to vibrate like it was enraged and not its owner, with a chuckle he continued his line of thought:

' _The other Servants can drain prana, I could conceal my force drain with 'prana' draining, it should work'_ he continued his sum up:

' _Then there is Rider, the Servant of the mount, with usually the most powerfull 'Noble Phantasms', abilities or weapons deply collegated with the 'Servants' legends, Caster, the Servant of magic, Magi or Wizards that are known for being the Servant with the most static tattics, for their territory creation, the Assassin, the Servant of the shadows, this Servant's most likely to target the Masters…'_

"This depends on how much he can get near her, because I will kill him before he even sees her" whispered Galen.

' _The final servan is the Berserker, having his sanity bargained for higher power, he has the highest stats overall but the madness will not let the Servant be controlled'_

"I understand you, buddy" commented Galen, taking then his few notes about his supposed class 'Avenger':

' _This is the Einzbern's shame; they tried to summon a 'Divine spirit', the god of Evil Angra Mainyu, but they got instead a Servant with very weak stats, and was killed very early during the Third Heaven's Feel. It isn't known what are the class stats'._

' _Personal addiction: it seems that I'm more irascible than before, and that the Force is more powerful here. Observations are very much advised'_ Galen added this in his notes and then resumed to read:

' _The subjugation of the Servant to the Master'_ cue growl from Galen _'is assured by the Command Seals, but should be better to don't use them, for after having used all of them the Servant will be free to do everithing he want against his former Master'_

"Then there is the bond…" This was the final page of his notes:

' _When the Master ties with the Servant, the formed bond that's formed is usually more than a simple passage of prana; when they are awake is possible for both to talk through this bond and sleeping memories from both are exchanged. Even emotions go through this bond'._

Only remembering the emotions from his bond with his 'Master', or what he called her, protegè nearly crushed him.

' _Soul-shattering sadness, hopelessness and a resolve and love towards Kiritsugu Emiya and their daughter that prepared her for martyrdom'_

Sighing, Galen put down the last sheet and sprowled on the comfy chair. He then looked to a scrunched up piece of paper and remembered what he put down there:

"The Grail is able to fulfil every desire, uhn?" He wondered.

A really incredible prize, he could think that maybe the Force sent him here to make sure that this 'Grail' went to the hand of Kiritsugu Emiya, and then he would reunite with the Force and be done.

But all this situation stunk of trap: with this type of configuration the lives of innocent bystanders were put in danger, too much power was given to only one person, an overseer, who would be very much tempted by this power, and the Grail itself was suspicious.

' _After all, there were three others Grail wars before the one I'm partecipating, and no one won. It doesn't make sense…'_

It was a saying between the military corps and Kota never stopped repeating it. He could hear him saying it now:

" _Remeber boy, if an action against you happens one time, is an accident, if it's repeated is a coincedence. But if it's done three time, it means that someone is trying to destroy you and that is done on purpose" ._

The worst thing was the lack of information about the ends of all those wars, and now it was like he was in the iperspace without a mapped route and not having made the calculations, hoping not going through a heavenly body. And it was enraging him:

"I'm thinking too much about it!" He shouted, bringing his hands down on the desk, making it do a worrying *Crack*.

"Oh for the Force no!" he begged the table, but the table didn't hear his pleas, and with a *Crunch* it crashed down, scattering all the books, the papers and the pens above it on the floor.

Nothing moved. Not the papers, nor Galen, not even the damned blonde wisp. Then two maids entered in the library, one taller and more slender, the other a bit shorter and with more… ( **NDA: how should I say it without sounding sexist? Ah, fanculo, let's just continue)** breasts then the other.

Both bowed and the taller started to say:

"Good night, Servant-sama, we are here to…" then she saw the scene unfolded in front of her: the desk destroyed, the sheets on the marble floor, and the books…

Galen would always swear that around Sella formed a dark aura, that made pale his. She marched slowly towards him, hers rhythmic tread resounding in the library, and with each step she said:

"What *Step* has *Step* possessed *Step* you *Step* to * Step* do * Step* it?" when she was in front, a scary sweet smile was on her face and eyes dark, looking above his seated form.

Galen started to sweat profusely, and he said weakly:

"I didn't do it on purpose?" . The more buxom one at that said in a dull tone:

"Ah, Sella nee-san, he said the wrong answer" said the buxom one, without a ounce of emotion, but he could literally feel her amusement. He looked towards the wisp of fair hair, and it was trembling like it was laughting like a mad-man, or woman.

Galen pressed pressed his back against the wooden chair, so terrified, and then Sella, if he caught that right, said:

" **Circuits activation** " He felt the Force being sucked… into? The woman and a network of pale-green canals, filled with the Force. The woman eyes were unwavering, and Galen perceived only a strange apathy, like she was there and she wasn't. She touched the remains of the table and said, with a monotonous tone:

" **Bergen (nda it means to repair)** " . Galen watched intrigued the table repairing itself, its broken legs reattaching themself to the no longer craked surface. He looked amazed at the table, then at Sella, then at the table. He heard Sella say:

"Now, Leystritt-imouto, what was I doing? Ah, right, What the he-" she was interupted when Galen stood up suddenly and grabbed Sella by the shoulders, making her gain a notable blush, and he said:

"Please, before that I have to ask something!"

"Wha-wha-wha" stopped working.

Galen, without preambles, asked:

"Please teach me!" .

Silence. Not even a cicade making a noise. It was so silent that it was deafing. Then:

"Wha-wha-what are you doing, you stupid!" *Slap* and a red, five fingered mark was on his cheek, burning slightly, and Sella was grabbing her hand, crying slighly from the pain. With tears in her eyes, she turned towards Leystritt and said:

"Leystritt!"

"Ah, roger, nee-san. Riesenarm." and an halberd appeared in her hands, big, bigger then her and very _painful_ looking for him. The same halberd's flat side collided with his head, making him fly through the room towards the door. During his ragdolling he saw the short blonde opening the library's door with a remarkable smirk painted on her face, and he flew across the hallway to thrust into the wall opposite to the door upside down.

Galen was dazed by the course of events, and he watched dumb as Sella passed next to him with a 'Hmph!' and continued to walk looking haughty with the nose up. Leystritt instead bowed and said, always with a drone voice:

"Ah, forgive my Onee-san, Servant-sama, you are from another time when the man were more straigth than now, and you were rude for asking her to teach you that way" . Note that she said it without a twitch on her face or an inflection in her tone.

Galen glanced at her for a moment to start laughing boisterously. Leystritt remained stoic, but you could see the question marks upon her head. When he succeded to subdue his laughs to normal level, he said:

"N-no need to say sorry for your sister, it's not a big matter. Maybe I was only a bit too much forward but…" a sigh escaped his lips and continued:" it's only that I saw something that I never knew could be done using that power, and I was curious during my... late life." .

There was a sad, melancholic smile on his face, with his eyes closed. Leystritt, while always looking impertubable, bowed again a bit deeper and said dully:

"Ah, I will ask Onee-san to teach Servant-sama, if Servant-sama wants so" , and with that said she started to go only to stop for a moment to say:

"Ah, and I'm sorry to have attacked Servant-sama" . Galen could swear that he saw a bit of red paint her cheecks while her walking was a bit quicker then before, not leaving Galen the chance to respond.

Galen observed her as she moved away. He remained there looking to where she was, considerating their conversation. Then he tried to unstick from the wall.

 _Tried_ being the key word. After five minutes of attempts to get out ot his situation using 'normal' strenght, and not having been able to get out, he started thinking:

' _I could use the Force to get out, no?'_

' _It wouldn't be advisible, I want to have my powers secret'_ he self countered this line of action

' _But they use the Force, they know that I have powers!'_

' _And if they have ways to know that you used them? They could use the Force, but even the Jedi used the Force, and look how much there are around now!'_

' _Okay. So that course is closed. How about we use 'Saber' to get out of here?'_

Galen looked in front of him, and the gaze of Galen became a deadpan, and then he said with a flat tone:

"Ya know, when someone says that you were seen, you don't continue to spy them, or you say sorry or you attack them. Very viciously if I may add, _Queenie_ "

The door opened so fast that the hinges broke, and the door flew next to a grinning Galen, very satisfied with himself for finally winning a teasing battle against one of royal blood. The many times Bail teased him about his young age, the _too_ many times Leia poked fun about his heigth when she didn't even reach his head, finally avenged by a furious blond tiny woman, with her eyes closed, a scary (for the people that are not crazy like Galen) smile and a tick mark on her forehead.

She even had her 'invisible' (for the people who didn't fight against a lot of illusions fighter, that is) sword in her right hand, whici was pointed against him, saying:

"Could thou renew what thou said, Servant of the self-justice?" Ohhh, even the old way to talk! It's gonna be so funny!

"What, midget," Another tick mark "That you couldn't spy without getting the target in the know of you 'observing' the istant you start" oh, another one "Or your lack of common sense?" asked 'innocently' Galen, grinning ear to ear.

This 'King Arthur' now was shaking in barely repressed anger, her face covered by tick marks, her scary smile shivering, and she she granted:

"Haveth thou some last words, rapscallion?"

"Only that it was worth it" responded smug Galen

 _Iriviel POV, half an hour earlier, Emiya's Room_

Iriviel was tossing and turning alone in the bed in hers, Maiya's and Kiritsugu room, having what could only be called a nightmare:

 _Stench of charred wood and burnt flesh. Fear. Noises of fighting and collisions, then silence. Dread. Then seeing a man in brown fighting robes going through the door and land on the floor, followed by what could only be called demon, illuminated by a sanguine red cylinder of light. Terror. The man was raised in the air with only a gesture of the hand by the monster, and with the clenching of the same hand a disturbing noise of cracking started. Anger. An inhumane, mechanical voice made its appereance:_

" _ **I sense someone far more powerfull nearby. Where is your master?**_ _"_

" _The Dark Side has clouded your mind!" responded the man with a raspy voice "You killed my master years ago!"_

" _ **And now you shall share his fate!**_ _" ._

 _Hatred._

 _The cylinder flew from the hand of the dark monster to the little hands of a child, who tightened them around the dark shaft. The demon turned its terrible head towards him and wondered:_

" _ **A child?**_ _"_

" _RUN!" screamed the man, to be soon killed with his spine shattered by the closing of the black gloved hand of the monster, that made him fall lifelessly on the ground._

 _The wraith turned completely towards him and made a step towards him, while the child moved back._

 _Suddendly, noises of strides made them turn towards the door, where four men, three with a white, full body armor, and one old man who was probably the officer. The officer made a sign, and the soldiers pointed what was losely describable as a rifle to the child. To another sign, they pressed the triggers._

 _The hilt in the tiny hands flew towards the killer, who first deflected the red lights that exited from the mouths of the rifles, and then ruthlessly cut down the four men, that died crying uselessly and with the red light cutting flawlessly in their flesh, leaving behind it burnt pieces of their corpses._

 _Suffering._

 _The master turned to his new apprentice, and said:_

" _ **Come with me, more will come here soon**_ _"_

 _The apprentice reluctantly followed his new master. The child looked towards a mirror in another room, and Iriviel saw him. He was the young Avenger._

 _ **All these things bring to the Dark Side.**_

"AAHHHH!" Iriviel sprang up and screamed, tears running out of her eyes. A strong pair of arms hugged her and when she tried to wriggle free and started to hyperventilate one male voice said allarmed:

"Iri, it's me, calm down!" When she recognized it as Kiritsugu's voice, she calmed down, but she grabbed his shirt and cried even more on it.

Kiritsugu, not used to see Iriviel so shattered, embraced her awkardly, trying, and strangely succeding, to calm her. After a bit of silence between them, Iriviel was the first to talk, and said, like nothing happened:

"Oh, Kiritsugu, hello! How did the report go?" . It was such an obvious attempt of diversion that even Illya would have screamed 'Got you!' at her, but she really _really_ didn't want to tell what she saw in the memories of Aven- _her Servant_. Kiritsugu fortunately understood that and said calmly:

"Apart by the fact of Avenger being able to acquire even Magic circuits when absorbing prana, the fact that his Noble Phantasm could be a conscious demonic possession and that now Jubstacheit is treating me the politest I have ever known him, it was pretty much boring" with that said he sat more confortably on the chair next to the very big bed and to an equally enormous window, opened slightly it and lighted a cigarette.

Exactly three seconds later Iriiviel tilted her head and asked, unnaturally quiet:

"What?"

 _Iriviel POV, twenty minutes later_

"…Then Jubstacheit and I decided to let Saber observe Avenger for now" with this this Kiritsugu's sum up ended. He was now on his third cigarette, and was preparing another one when Iriviel asked:

"Why are you so corcerned about him? He doesn't seem to want to attack us" she was even smiling when saying it.

The two cigarettes in his possession fell off, the new on the floor, the lit one on his pants. He remained still, slightly gaping, and after a few moments he took the cigarette, he put it out on the ashtray, and, rubbing his temples, wondered aloud:

"I know she is naive, but how does she think like this?"

"Hey!" cried an irritated Iriviel, agitating her hands and with little clouds of steam exiting from her head:

"I'm not that naive, you know that I'm the best at reading people!" she said pouting and bumped her fists on Kiritsugu, who laughting responded:

"Gomen, Gomen! Now, Ojou-sama, say to this lowly paesant what he has _obviously_ missed" . The last part was said jockingly.

Iriviel took out a pure-white fan from _somewhere_ and, waving it in front of her face, said, attempting to make an impression of a pure-blood wizard lady:

"Ohohoh, and don't you dare forget it, you lowly-born man!" then she launched the fan to some part of and continued, serious:

"From what you said he wasn't even grazed by the insults of the council, right?"

"Yes, he didn't react to them in an aggressive manner" responded in a collected voice Kiritsugu, returning to his emotionless persona.

"Even when they threatened to use upon him the Comand Seals, is that true?"

"Maybe it was caused by his abnormal Indipendent Action, but yes" replied composed Kiritsugu

"And he only reacted when one of the lower ring threatened to harm me" .

"Yes" was the short answer of Kiritsugu, and his only outer reaction was the clenching of his hands on the fabric of his pants.

A small glad smile made its way on Iriviel face, then she continued:

"Even in his demoniac he stated that he would protect me"

"Hm, it's true" said an impressed Kiritsugu "But his below average stats? They aren't his real stats, is impossible"

"The cracks on the floor of the council, right? That room is designed to resist a siege of several A rank misteries through the use of not only Magi style of magic, but even Wizard's boundary fields. And he only used his strenght…"

"Didn't you see his stats when you became his Master, Iri? Maybe is a part of his Noble Phantasm"

She blushed slightly, and started scratching her cheek embarassed:

"I was a bit shaken by the fact that I was a master and after of _what class_ I was Master, sorry Kiritsugu" .

He only made a gesture like 'don't worry about it' and, starting to undress, added:

"Now we have to sleep, the next days are going to be last ones we are going to be able to spend without troubles" and when he was only in his boxers he lay next to her, his chest with a few scars here and there ignude.

Iriviel leaned on the chest and he hugged her close. She then said, slightly sad:

"I already miss Maiya, now above all her heat"

"Are we thinking about the same one?"

"No, literally her heat. Is cold, eheh"

Kiritsugu only held her closer and kissed her forehead, eliciting another giggle from the white haired woman.

They were truly at peace, only them and their mutual lover in their mind and souls.

The silent raising and descending of Kiritsugu's chest lulled her to sleep, and her regular breathing lulled him, and they closed they eyes.

…

…

" _Grrr! Answerth for thy sins:_ _ **Strike air: Hammer of the Wind God!**_ _"_

" _KYAAAA!"_

Both groaned at the same moment

 _Galen's POV, Present, running through the corrid_

Maybe he was a bit too much pain in the arse this time. But there were good news!

Good new 1: he was out of the fucking wall!

But there were also bad news:

Bad new 1: a pissed off Saber was chasing him.

Coupled by another good new:

Good new 2: it was so amusing!

And another bad new:

Bad new 2: a _female_ pissed off Saber, with a three _fucking_ foot longsword in her hands, who can launch wind at her comand, and it's _slightly_ painfull.

It didn't even reach his top 50, but it was painfull.

And she was after his ass, firing this 'strikes' of air every turn they did, destoying all the (empty) rooms in the hallways she fired them, _and_ the hallways themselves.

Good new 3: he was training his taunting.

This strange game of cat'n mouse came with the commentery of the partecipants:

"Gne-Gne-Gne! You can't touch me!"

"Thou wrongdoer! Stop thyself and face thy punishment!"

"I'd like to keep my skin on me, thank you!"

"Thou will not be skinned" said her with what could only be called a sadistic smile:

"Thou will only be castrated. It's better for myself and for all the abitants of this world" .

"You are out of your mind if you think of cathing me, kiddo!"

Then there was a dead end in front of him, with only a closed door for another room. Galen fearfully faced back and the dark smile from Saber, who advenced slowly towards him, and stated, like it was a death sentence:

"Now this is the end for you, felon. **Strike ai-!** '

*Crack* she was so enraged that she wasn't able to act on her instincts and crashed on the door, cracking it but unbelievably not destroying it or closing it.

Galen recognized his 'Master' behind the 'grim man's' back. Galen noticed his scars, but he didn't think a lot about it, only storing it for later. His grin became more gentle and he greeted them in a kind tone:

"Good night White Lady, Grim Lord" the answers were a grunt from the man and an enthusiastic wave from the Lady. He continued:

"Was there some matter that you had to exit in this state?" He was really curious about that: you didn't go out of your room only in night gown (White Lady) or only in shorts (Grim lord). Or their culture was simply that more stranger than his, and it was possible.

The White Lady blushed, and she hid herself more behind the bare back of the man, who deadpanned at him and pulled the door to him, letting him see a furious Saber, who mechanically turned towards her Master and asked:

"Sorry Master, could you let myself emasculate this felon, it would be very much appreciated"

Brownie points to her as she was able to say that without using the arcaic accent, but she lost them with the part about 'emasculation'. It didn't really sound good for him.

He looked pleading towards his fellow man, who groaned and said:

"Saber, don't attack him, we are going to need him"

"As you order, Master" she didn't let her disappointement let through her facade, or the remains of it.

Galen was very gratefull of his new best friend, and made it know by hugging him.

Lets rephrase it: Galen Marek, the deadliest assassin ever known in the Empire, hugged the most infamous freelancer on Earth. And the latter was in boxer.

And Galen, if the situation wasn't already awkard, added:

"Now you are my bestest friend, Grim Lord!" .

There were three distinct reactions from the people around:

1° The Grim Lord: he was unsure to what to do, and only patted the back of the Servant who was hugging him.

2° The White Lady: she was trying her hardest to not laugh, but mirth's tears were starting to pool.

3° Saber…

"Unhand my Master now, or I will gut you here and now!" and pointed her _invisible_ in front of his face. He shielded his new BFF (Best Fellow Fighter) and said:

"You will not divide us BFF!" .

It was too much for the White Lady, who burst laughing, while the Grim Lord moaned at his disconfort. Saber tilted her head, and, never moving her sword, turned towards Iriviel, asking:

"Sorry, my lady, the Grail hasn't granted me the knowledge of this title 'BFF'. Could you explain to me what this entails?" .

The White Lady only laughed harder.

 _Kiritsugu POV, inside the Emiya's Room_

"So 'BFF' means 'Best Friend Forever'. Truly the friendship bond has altered in the years" said a bemused Saber.

"Yes, truly. The title meaning 'Boys Fellows Fighters' really is so different in our cultures" said a pensive Avenger.

Kiritsugu facepalmed. He, the most notorious assassin in the moonlit world, feared both by Magi and Wizards, facepalmed. Now all was possible in this world, from him adopting…

Bah, it would be very amusing, but by what the old senile said she was training on her magic in a secret location, so no-no. Now he had another problem, namely the two iperactive Servants in front of him, who now were scowling at each other. No, wait, Saber was glowering at Avenger, Avenger was only making a face to her.

Groaning for the umpteenth time, he decided to drop the bomb:

"What happened?" One, two…

"She did it!" Avenger promptly pointed at Saber, and dashed in direction of the door, but with a:

"Liar!" he was tackled by an irate Saber, who started choking him.

While the scene unfolded in front of them, Kiritsugu turned towards Iri, made a sign towards his eyes, then towards Avenger, and Iriviel nodded to his silent message of looking his statistical datas.

He returned to watch at the two Servants and deadpanned:

"Saber"

"Yes, Master?"

"Why is Avenger's face blue?"

"Because I'm executing this rascal"

"… Could you please don't do it in my room? I don't want to have to explain to my wife why her Servant is dead here" Avenger shot him a betrayed look and started to pry the hands of Saber from his neck.

He turned in the direction of Iri for her response to his jab, but she was unmaving, with her eyes glazed, her mouth slightly open and was drooling. Concerned, he said to the two quarreler Servants:

"Why don't you go to sleep, so we don't waste prana with your bickering"

"We may have a problem about that" Avenger had succeded to pry off Saber clutch and he was keeping her away from him like someone would do with a wild beast, the growling and scratches included.

"What problem?" asked a frantic Kiritsugu, noticing more drool coming from her mouth.

"This midget here" cue more growling from Saber "Has destroyed a lot of empty rooms in this wing of the building, and I think that they were the guest-WOOAA!" at the end Saber passed his arms and restarted to throttle him

Kiritsugu was very close to facepalming again, but he refrained to do so, and ordered:

"Saber, take Avenger to the room at the end of the corridor; it's an open guest room, sleep there" .

"Yes, Master" Saber did it straight away, dragging a whimpering Avenger behind her. When she was at the door, she turned towards them, said:

"Good night to you, Master and Milady" and then closed the door, avoiding Avenger's head for a hair's breadth.

Kiritsugu started massaging his temples, and when he turned in the direction of his wife a groan escaped his lips, for she was still in a catatonic like state. He put his hand near her ear and snapped his finger:

"Was, in Gottes Namen, ist das?! **(What, in the Holy name of God, is that?!)** " she screamed instantly and stood up, making her chair fall on the floor. Then she grabbed Kiritstugu and started to shake him like a doll:

"What the hell was that?!" she repeated in Japanese this time, continuing to jerk him. He let her do it for a bit, then he grabbed her arms and pulled her towards him, hugging her. She calmed down instantly and after a minute or two KIritugu heard a pervert chukle and felt a bit of drool on his chest. He flicked her forehead.

"Itai!" she said cutely, rubbing the spot he hit.

"Now priorities, later jokes" he said serious, but his lips were twitching upwards every now and then. She nodded in a serious manner, put the chair at its place, sat down and, while Kiritsugu wrote it down on his note book, reported:

"The information of the Servant Avenger are as follows" While she was saying this Kiritsugu started writing:

"Name: unknown. Master; Iriviel von Einzbern, alignment Chaotic Good" at that Kiritsugu coughed to hid a smirk but let Iri continue:

"Strength B, forty times a normal human being; Agility B+, eighty times a normal human being; Endurance A+, a hundred times a normal human being; Mana, non quantificable-"

"Not quantificable?"

"I can't compare the amount he can handle with anything I've ever known"

"My Vision said something else. How the hell did I see all E ranks?"

"Well, the Luck _is_ E-" Iri added, trying to be helpfull. Kiritsugu smirked a bit and said

"That I can understand" Iriviel giggled and continued:

"Noble Phantasm…" here she stopped. Kiritsugu looked up from his book and asked:

"Is his NP like his Mana rank?" Iriviel shook her head and responded

"No, it's more like I can't discern what his Noble Phantasms or abilities are" .

" _Are?_ Like more than one?" questioned Kiritsugu, wanting to bang his head on the table until his wife aswered:

" _I-I… I can't describe them…"_

Kiritsugu's eyes bored into those of her wife, that started becoming dazed again, and snapped his finger in front of her again. She shook herself again, and asked, confused:

"What were we talking about?" . Kiritsugu was concerned. He stood up and hugged her close, like he had done before.

And like before she started to giggle pervertedly and this time a bit of blood started to leak from her nose, and through the giggles she said:

"I could get used to this!" . This time Kiritsugu patted her head, leaving her to do her 'perving' and they remained like this for a bit, until Iriviel said, detaching reluctantly from Kiritsugu:

"I really don't know his Noble Phantasms, it's like they are completely alien to me…" before she returned in that state, Kiritsugu blocked her:

"Talk about his skills" Not exactly the gentle approach, nor the the most morally correct, but it worked! In the immortal words of Macchiavelli 'The end justify the means', and Iri said:

"Hermmm- I don't know what they means" . She said sheepishly. Kiritsugu arched his brow and repeated:

"You don't know what they mean? At all? Shoudn't you be able to know them thanks to you sight?"

"And I know it, and I see his class skills but… I don't understand the language" The first part made him go to a loop: Avenger talked the language they used in the castle, German, and then he talked the bastardized Japanese they used in private, so the Grail granting the basic knowledge about languages in the world was succefull.

But the reaction of his wife toward his Noble Phantasm…

"So we don't know his skills, other than the fact that he can use Magecraft" wondered aloud Kiritsugu, scribbling it on the notes.

"I can't completely understand them, yes" repeated _nearly_ the same thing Iri. The _near_ blocked Kiritsugu in his track, and he told the word again:

"'Completely'?" . Iriviel's eyes shot open, but she nodded without esitation:

"It's like I know yet I don't know it… I understand some words but they don't make sense to me" .

Kiritsugu was thinking in his nonosense mode _how_ could she understand another language: she didn't lie (she was atrocious at it), so he asked:

"Maybe the use of a _Linguae gratia_ ( **Roughly 'For the language' in Latin)** potion would help you understand it?"

"No, it has a differerent alphabet than everything I've ever learnt" .

Kiritsugu groaned and massaged his temples. Then a question, logical as much as extremely direct one, sprung up in his mind:

"Then how do you know this language? Maybe is linked with the nightmare you had?" He had suspicions about how she could understand it, but they were all buried when she started to tremble in fear. He did the only thing that came in his mind: he dragged her close to him and his strong arms encircled her. This time her dam opened, and she cried, not wanting to hold back anymore.

Kiritsugu said nothing, and started to rub circles on her back, letting her loose her emotions.

They didn't know how much time passed. Then Iriviel looked up:

All the artists who drawed composed crying figures, all the sculptors who carved in solid their figures stoic, and all the writers who pictured their characters nobles in sadness, they all were wrong.

There wasn't composure in her, nor fortitude, and certainly not nobility; but Kiritsugu didn't need or want of this things from his wife. He only saw how beutifull this woman, nay, heroine was.

The same one who was aware that she would die by his hand, but saved him from his darkness; the same one who, knowing that another woman wanted him, not only didn't become blinded by anger or jealousy, but wanted her to become his other wife; the same one who, with her silliness and airheaded personality, was better than him in so much more things; The same one who gave him a purpose in their daughter Illya.

This woman now was looking at him with big redder puffy eyes, had a snotty nose and her white snow hair were now in disarray, with some attached to her mouth, that sstarted moving to say:

"I-I'm sorry, I-hmph!" he silenced her with a kiss. A chaste kiss, with nothing but love and care in it, in contrast with his cold personality.

Iriviel accepted it whole heartily, holding him closer to her and starting to deepen the kiss, wanting to show her devotion to her husband.

Before the things could start to get too heated Kiritsugu ended the kiss, that action earning a whine from Iri, who finished doin it when Kiritsugu started to stroke her long white hair, this action earning him a purring like sound from Iri. Who started to rub on his chest like a cat.

Then Kiritsugu apologized to her, ashamed of making her cry in the first place:

"I'm sorry for what I said, my _Tsuma_ " . Iriviel didn't say anything, she only grabbed the sides of his head and made Kiritsugu bend, and kissed his forehead. She then connected her forehead to his and said:

"There is no need to apology, my _Otto_ " . After a few moments, she separeted from Kiritsugu and nodded to herself, strengthening herself to say:

"I will tell you my nightmare"

"Iri, it's not so important…"

"But it could be, so you need to know it _now_ " she said with an hint of fire in her eyes.

On the bedside table, one blood red stone illuminated itself, followed by a calm blue one.

 **(NDA I'm putting this here 'cause I didn't want to stop the flow:** _ **Tsuma**_ **means 'Wife' in the most neutral way possible, while** _ **Otto,**_ **as I have found, means 'husband' as the most neutral way possible, please correct me if I'm wrong)**

 _Galen's POV, meanwhile, going towards the Servants Room_

There was only one thing going through Galen's mind at this moment; a thing so much important that he _had_ to scream to the entire world to hear:

"Why are you dragging me, damned midget!? It's fucking ten meters ahead!" it wasn't in the contract that it was _serious_ , but for him it was _very_ important.

"For your lack of reliability, I shall _escort_ you to our rest room" Saber answered in earnest, continuing to drag Galen on the cold floor without any care. Not that Galen cared. He now questioned harshly:

" _Ours?_ As in 'We do a sleepover together' thing? You are out of your mind!" she answered evenly:

"My Master ordered us to sleep in the same room, so we shall sleep in the same room" .

Galen this time didn't say anything, he flattened himself on the floor, making the most resistance possible without doing anything, only to make Saber angrier. And in that he was successful.

When Saber finally dragged Galen in front of the room, she squeezed the knob a bit too much, and, with a terrible groaning from the golden metal, it became misshapen, but, by the Force help probably, the door opened.

It wasn't a very rich room, maybe for the most 'unwelcome' guests: inside there was only a one-and-half sized bed with nauseant yellow cream blankets, a old looking wardrobe, a slightly worm-eaten desk and an uncomfortable looking chair; the plaster on the walls was cracked, and there were more then a bit of webs around. And they could see it in all (un)glory only for they inhuman senses, for there was no way to illuminate the room, not even a candle. The only good thing was the sight outiside of snow covered trees through a not so big window.

Galen observed all this while he was getting up and dusting himself, and after his observations he smirked and said sarcastically:

"What a cosy place! Really, this is a room I would kill for!" Saber didn't catch it and said a bit more annoyed than before:

"Where do you see the comfort of our place of rest, Avenger?" The smirk on Galen face twitched and he answered in a false seller tone:

"Do you not see, Your Majesty? The rustic taste of the mobiles, the deceitful cracks on the walls to make them look old and even the webs! The webs add this touch of mysterious that is so searched by man for generations!" Saber after all of this said in that tone didn't take the hint and rubbed her chin, wondering aloud with a serious look on her face:

"So now these qualities are sought by the inhabitants of this time? The traditions have truly changed since my demise…"

Galen really wanted to burst her bubble, but couldn't find the mental strength to do it. So he sighed and went to the wardrobe and he opened it to…

"What are you doing, Avenger?" asked an inquisitive Saber, her eyes boring through Galen's nape. He didn't answer while rummaging in the drawers of the closet until he found what he was looking for.

A blanket. He took it and walked towards the window making a knot on its handle using one end of the blanket, then towards the door to make another knot on its knob.

"What are you doing, Avenger?" asked a bit more forcedly Saber, a bit more annoyed at him for not answering the question. This time he answered curtly:

"An hammock"

"And why are you making an hammock?" said in her best diplomatic tone Saber, turned toward Galen's back, that was between her and the door:

"Two things: one, I don't like to sleep too much confortably, I sleep better when I don't move a lot; two, I don't like to share the bed where I sleep with no-one but…" here Galen interrupted himself and instead tested if the self-made hammock could support his weight. When he was satisfied at his work, he continued:

"Unless if you want to sleep with me, then you have to wait until we know ourself better, Queenie" . He wasn't saying this before, but it was good to distract her from his pause.

Saber twitched the 'Queenie' part and was preparing to retort angrily, but, with great force of will, she prepared to go into the bed and not attack Galen, for his disappointment. Or tried to get in bed.

Galen was already in boxer and tank-top, with the other clothes folded in the closet and the boots at his side, when he prepared to get on the hammock, he casted a glance towards Saber, and promptly sweatdropped.

She was standing there, looking at the bed and then at her own armor, then at the bed again. Galen watched her do it for half a minute and then asked:

"Do you have a problem?" she looked at him and shook her head. Then she resumed to do that.

Galen sighed and climbed his hammock, trying to make himself the least uncomfortable as possible, and closed his eyes. After a few moments noises of clanging started, and Galen reopened his eyes. What he saw usually would have made him roll for the laughs, but he only smirked and asked faintly amused:

"Are you going to sleep in armor? I'm not going to kill you in your sleep, it would be too messy, ya know?" note that he said all of this with a shark like smirk.

"It's not the only matter, Avenger. The principal reason is *mumble*" the last part was said too faintly to be heard even for Galen:

"What's the principal reason?" he was honestly curious of the reason for a very capable warrior like her to be shy off.

"I said that *mumble*" and again she mumbled, but Galen this time was able to understand what she was saying. He sighed and pointed tiredly with his hand at the closet:

"Open the closet, second drawer, first pile from right should be gowns of your size" . She didn't say anything, she got up and went where he said, opened the drawer he indicated and took the first gown she found. A pink frilled gown. Galen had to resist to laugh and said:

"Well, it couldn't go worse, am I right?"

"I will not answer your taunts, Avenger, but this is the only one that I can use…"

"Why?" this time he had to put his hands in front of his mouth, knowing _exactly_ what was in that drawer:

"…They are all more feminine than this" she whispered and a full blown laugh started from Galen, drowned by a pillow thrown by an irate Saber on his face. At this he only gave a thumb up and a muffled 'Thank you', and then tucked the pillow under his head, continuing to look at the source of his amusement

"Must not kill, he is of use, must not kill, he is of use" she chanted this mantra, trying to avoid attacking Galen, while concentrating to dismiss her armor. When it was dismissed, and she was starting to dismiss her long blue dress she noticed that Galen was looking at her curious.

"If you don't stop looking at me, I will emasculate you" she said deadly (for him) serious, summoning her sword to mark her point, but Galen's curiosity only peaked and he asked:

"How can you summon things? It doesn't seem that you do anything" he was really curious for him, a trained user in the ways of the Force of the Sith and the Jedi, to don't have never really heard about this tecnique (not to be able to use, but never heard) was a bit frustating.

Saber looked at him with a raised brow, unsure if he was only avoiding the threat or if he was serious. But, not finding any trace of deception in his face, she answered with a sigh:

"I only want them to appear, for they are objects strictly bonded with my previous life, but the number of objects I can use is limited by my class. For example I have used my sword in my life, and now I'm of the Saber class, so I can summon it, but I've used a lance in my life, and even if it's deeply interconnected with my legend, I can't summon it. Now stop looking at me and rest"

"Thanks" answered Galen, and he rolled in the hammock towards the window, with the pillow tucked under his head.

He then waited that the Servant behind him was asleep, and then extended his left arm towards the starry sky, willing his lightsaber to come.

After a few moments, a familiar weight settled in his hand, that instinctively closed around it. An honest chuckle escaped Galen lips, who made his saber rotate over his hand using the Force, for then dismiss it through the same, unknown to him means. It broke up in blue lights while vanishing, and, looking towards the moon, he said:

"I promise you, Juno, this time I will not walk of my way" . And the he closed his eyes, leaving himself in the arms of the dreams.

 _Galen POV, ? after, ?_

 _There are a lot of things known about visions, but two of the things that_ all _the force users know is this:_

 _one, all can happen while you have a vision, and after you had that, all could happen;_

 _two, you will always be dazed from what you see in these visions. The only thing you can do is to piece the proofs from the vision itself._

 _Like what's happening to Galen in this moment:_

" _What did you say, mongrel?"_

 _Saying that was who could only be called a flawless example of feminine beauty: a body that was more like created than born, for its perfection, barely covered by her golden armor, that protected only her legs until her creamy thighs, her modesty and her sword arm; a golden cascade of hair went until the perfectly shaped buttocks; her buxom bosom was covered in the upper part only by a chain mail so excellent that it seemed a normal fabric, and from the under part to the waist a faultless body was covered only by red tribal tatooes, while behind her and her armour a purple mantle, symbol of kings all over the ancient world, flew in the night wind, weightless._

 _Red were even her eyes, glaring at the looker, red like fresh shed blood, while her mouth was snarling, showing her pearly white teeth._

 _Really, someone would have to spend hours to describe her phisical loveliness._

 _If that someone wasn't a savage._

 _And Galen was a savage:_

" _I said 'I expeceted the oldest hero of all the time to do other things beyond throwing swords at her enemies'" ._

 _She snarled even more, tens of ripples of gold appearing behind her, with swords and spears and axes and all types of weapons coming out, and shouted:_

" _Now you will kneel before your king, mongrel, and ask for forgiveness, for I am Gilgamesh, the True King!" Galen only raised an eyebrow and said:_

" _Why are all the female rulers wanting to be called 'King'? Isn't that a bit-" He was interupted by what seemed like an order:_

" _Die!" and the weapons flew towards him._

 _He only said:_

" _Let's get the mayhem started"_

 _Saber's POV, the next morning, The Servants Room_

*poke* *poke*

"Wake up, Avenger" . Said the stoic voice of Arturia Pendragon in her most calm tone possible to Avenger, who moaned and turned the other way, returning to sleep.

*poke* *poke*

"Wake up, Avenger" repeated Arturia louder, continuing to poke him on the shoulder with her armored finger, this time not getting even a reaction from the idiotic Servant.

Someone may ask: why didn't she simply shake him awake, or scream at him, or even set an alarm clock for him?

Arturia was a knight first, and she knew her reactions when she was woken up with a start (Kay could attest them very well), and they were common in all her knights and in all her veterans. And even though Avenger was a buffon, he was able to avoid her strikes the day before, using an agility that he shouldn't be in possess of by the judgment of her master, and in his bearing there was a grace only gainable trough a great zeal in the art of swordamanship.

And then there was his utility. Arturia was a knight first, but even before that she was a King, and out of the battlefield she would gain all the possible assets to win. Even ally with a future enemy. Those were the lenghts she would go for her dream.

And now Avenger needed to be roused, for just few minutes before one maid had come, saying that their masters were going to have breakfast, and they were invitated.

The only problem was the lazy Servant in front of her, and over all the fact that _he didn't wake up!_

And now she was sick of it.

She went to the knot on the knoob, and started to unfasten it. When she had one end of the 'hammock', one evil smile blossomed on Arturia's face, of a kind she didn't have from her childhood, when she did a great deal of similar pranks against Kay.

Then she let the end go.

With a satisfying *Tud!* the Servant before her fell on the cold floor, and woke up banging his head on said floor. Hard.

He promptly grabbed his head and stated turning on the floor, whimpering for the pain.

He then glared at her, and, rubbing his instantly-formed, comically large bump, he shouted:

"What the fuck is wrong with you?!" she replied calmly at this:

"Having to try to awake you for the last ten minutes, Avenger" . He got up grumbling, and, keeping up glaring at her, he asked annoyed:

"Why did you wake me up? Did a Servant attack with the sun out through a fortress? Or there was an explosion and we need to transport all the stuff of our Masters? Or a pack of savage Rancors is moving toward the house?" She answered in the most formal way possible:

"No, a Servant didn't attack with the sun out through a fortress, no, there wasn't an explosion and we don't need to transport all the belongings of our Masters, and I don't know what these 'Rancors' are. Our Masters simply want to have their first meal with us" . Avenger looked at her, and then he sighed. He thought for a few moments and then he said:

"Wait a sec, I will start dressing up now" and he picked up the clothes from the closet and he started getting dressed.

While he was dressing, Arturia was making note of the Servant in front of her: it was more on the slight side than overly muscular, but the thinness of his figure didn't deceive her about his strenght or his agility, she had seen them in person, and the great number of scars on his arms and legs of differrent size and entity showed not only that he faced a great deal of foes, but that his pain tollerance must be very high too; then there was his personality: to a civilian it would have been only terribly rough and offensive, to the point to make even her lose hers temper, using only few insults, but she knew better.

After all that was even her tactics, to not show anything for she was the King, the one who has to shoulder all the problems of his nation for the sake of his subjects, to be unfeeling, to be just, and to be male, for the King couldn't be a girl.

And then there was his act of slaying one of their host just the day before; a lot would have considered it to be too much ruthless and needlessly cruel, but she would have done the same after being villified for one hour and then being said that her Master would have been slayed like an object.

It was something that she, for the way she lived, could respect: fight for his lord or lady, without backing down. Maybe the use of his Magecraft was too much, she could think, but now no-one in their right wit would try to attack Lady Emiya for a very long time.

So much she was immersed in hers musings that she didn't notice that Avenger was in front of her, bending his back to look at her face to face, slightly smirking. She didn't let the surprise display openly through her facade, but the slight movement of her sword arm betrayed, like the slight movement of the green eyes of Avenger betrayed his warrior's instinct. He asked, his smirk growing:

"Well, shall we move, _My King?_ "

The bastard said the last part with sarcastic tone on purpose, she knew it.

 _Saber's POV, fifteen minutes later, Emiya's Room_

Arturia really didn't know what in the world was happening. It was going as she expected, like an legation with two rivals kingdoms: exchaging of pleasentries between the Masters and her and Avenger, with hidden words of double meaning, Avenger being his erratic self, the covered looks between the two Masters, that the Servants were acknowledging without problems, if not for the subtle smirk on Avenger face, and all the while it all was encircled by something to eat.

To be honest with herself she expected her Master to be more surprised about her true gender, but you don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

Then the Masters daughter came in, followed by the two library's maids:

"So cute!"

"Ahahah!"

"You are cuter than Kidos birds, ten times more then them!"

"Higher! Higher!"

"Yes, little princess!"

"Weeee!"

What. In. The. World. Was happening!

There is something to know about Arturia Pendragon: she didn't like the unexpected. It happened a lot of times something unexpected in her mortal life, but those unexpected things she didn't like in the slighest.

And seeing Avenger play with a child and call her 'cute' was an unexpected thing. More so in this way, for heaven's sake!

She was not the only one incredulous of what it was happening in front of them:

Her Master was coughing out tea for at least a minute now, at how much it went down the wrong way;

Avenger's Master was looking wide-eyed and with her mouth open;

and the two maids…

"Leave ojou-sama at this instant, brute!" ordered that taller one.

"No!"

"No!" said the two children

"Ah, it's not a good thing to do, Servant-sama" said monotonous the shorter one.

"I don't want!" cried the young child.

"I don't care!" shouted the man-child.

That was the start of what she would have to win to save her country? This was going to be an hard contest.

 _Galen's POV, thirty minutes later, Emiya's Room_

"…Is this really needed? You know, it's not good to do this in front of a child ". These were the first words Galen said raising a brow, staring at the White Lady, after he was tied by his 'Master' using strings made using the Force.

Not that they were enough to stop him even for a _millisecond_ using his phisical streght, let's not talk about if he used his Force powers, but he didn't want to upset the White Lady. Not too much.

And there was his own curiosity. Really, a fucking bird made of Force appeared and tied him on the chair, it was an ability that he didn't hear about!

But this curiosity didn't make him think long enough.

"Ahi!" two hands struck his back of the head, accurately on his bump.

"Don't talk about it in front of ojou-sama, you degenerate!" said Frosty heatdly

"Ah, don't say this things with Illya-mei **(niece)** present, Servant-sama" told calmly Blunty, but an hint of anger was visible in her eyes.

Then an armored hand hit the same point:

"Ouch! What the Maw!"

"Is dishonorable to talk in such way with a child present" said with steel in her voice Saber, glaring at Galen.

Then two, bigger than those before, hands clapped upon his shoulders and the stubbled face of the Grimm Lord appeared at his side, and Galen said, his brow twitching:

"If you hit me I'm gonna pommel you black and blue" he said, a bit of smuggler's style of talking going into his threat, sick of being knocked in the same spot. The Grimm Lord only patted his shoulders, and said with a predator smirk:

"For what it's worth, I'm _not_ sorry for what is about to happen to you" . His grip tigthened and a sense of dread started to rise in him, while his senses were going overdrive saying _**to get the fuck away from here!**_

"Fufufu, what is this naughty Servant saying while my daughter is here? Maybe I should punish you, Avenger-chan?" said the White Lady, smiling fearfully, with a black miasma starting to encicle her.

…

…

…

…

And Galen wasn't even _mildly_ scared; really, his senses were a bit too much sensible

' _Really? What the Maw, after all this allarms, scaring and even devil smiles, that's all? What the Maw, I've been in a fucking Sarlacc!'_ After a minute staring at the darker and darker aura around his 'Master' he thought _'You know? I'm a bit sick of it. Get away nice Galen, on the stage Sith-tongued Galen!'_ and, with a sharp voice and cold eyes, he said to the scorned woman:

"Naugthy? Am I the one who constrained myself at this chair, like I was a criminal, in front of your daughter, giving her an impression that if she didn't want to do something she only needed to use her magic to have her way?" Iriviel's black aura receded and she bowed her head, a bit shamed. Then the Avenger looked at the frozen man with the hands on his shoulder, and continued:

"Or that threatening is something decent to do with a guest?" Kiritsugu froze, and the hands got away from his shoulders like they were piping hot, and then Galen turned his head towards the three violent women who hit his head:

"Or that is good using violence to get your point across?" this time Sella looked at her feet while clicking her right heel nervously, Leysritt turned her head and whistled and Saber remained impassible, but her tuff of hair looked a bit lower than before.

And then another hand, tiny, with a touch so light that a bit more lighter he wouldn't have noticed it, hit the back of his head another time.

A sharp intake of breath was heard from everyone inside the room, and Galen started to feel a subtle feeling in the back of his mind, but he ignored it and turned toward the offender, and saw the Little Fairy with the meaniest frown she could produce, but it was only the cutest pout Galen had ever saw. She tried to scold him, even pointing her small index at him and putting her tiny arm to her hip:

"Bad onii-chan! You can't be a meany with Mama and Papa and Big Sisters! Now say sorry!"

The silence in the room was deafing, and Galen only raised a brow and started asking:

"Why am I the only… Oh not that face!" he cried at the end, looking at the pouting face of the little sprite in front of him, who had her eyes glinting with tears, and then the little fairy said in a pleading tone:

"Big bwother, pwease can you do it?"

"UGH!"

 _ **Direct it! The Captain to the crew, get to the escape pods immedietly!**_

 _ **Captain, another volley incoming!**_

 _ **Oh no!**_

"Pwease, big bwother!" the bottom lip was trembling and a little tear was running on her cheek.

 _ **I'm sorry, my crew, I've failed you…**_

 _ **No Captain, continue to fight, to live! No! NOOOO**_

 **(Nda … I don't know what the hell was that… But I like it! So, let's continue with the story!)**

Galen felt like he was phisically hit by the sheer amount of cuteness coming from the tiny child, and he experienced something more powerful than even Sidious lightning.

And before that much power he had to crumble:

"Okay, Okay! I'm sorry about being too much snarky, but please stop the cuteness! Please, I beg you!" The little demon sniffed and asked:

"Really, onii-chan?" Was he wrong or the little imp was starting to smile in a scary way through the tears?

"Really, but please can you stop crying? I will do anything, I swear!" Galen was really starting to get desperate, not only by the fact that a _child_ was blackmailing him, but even for the little fact that now all the people around, after their initial shock, were all trying not to laugh. Even Blunty, Queenie and The Grimm Lord! He had a reputition, damnit!

"Anything?" Now he was starting to get really concerned about a lot of things, above all the scary smile now he was sure to be seeing, nonetheless he upheld what he said, despairing more about seeing a child sad (even if it was _clearly_ fake) then what said child would do to him:

"Yes!" .

Then a chuckle started. That evolved in an evil giggle. That became a cruel laugh. The 'Oh look at me my evil plan came to fruition and I'm so much cool and evil' laugh of Sidious was probably the grandad of this laugh.

For Galen was what was descripted above and if possible worse.

For all the people in the world and further it was one of the cutest thing one could ever see in the universe, up there with puppies, little rabbits and kittens.

The cute little demon then walked in front of him, looked up to his face and in an happy tone she declared:

"So now you will do everything I want for today, ne?" .

Galen started sweating, his complexion became slightly paler than usual, and with a shaky laugh he asked:

"Everything?"

"Yes, everything I ask, you must do! But…" here she was on the verge of tears again:" You are not a liar, right onii-chan? You aren't a meanie, right?"

Galen turned at his 'Master' and pleaded her to not abide to the demands of the little demon, but she with a giggle made a little nod to let them do their ruckus.

With a sigh Galen used the Froce to disrupt the energy in the 'strings' that tied him before the White Lady could dismiss her 'magic' and polished off all the little biscuits, the tarts and the tea in front of him, leaving only shining tableware on his passing, taking even the time to use a napkin for the crumbs.

He then stood up, getting the tiny sprite on his shoulders with a 'YEAAH!' on her part.

The child, laughing, grabbed with one little hand a lock of his short hair while with the other she pointed toward the door and cried:

"Onward, my steed!"

"Yes, charge!"

And charge they did, and the door closed behind them.

 _Iriviel POV, meanwhile, Emiya's room_

"*Sniff* The first time blackmailing someone to do what she wanted, I'm so proud of her!"

"You aren't the only one, nee-san"

Really, Magi are a strange bunch: hate towards all that is remotely technologic (even now the castle was warmed by runes), their philosophy (to walk with Death, theirs or someone else doesn't matter), the 'I-m-holier-than-thou' attittude (meanies) and even their minds themselves are (a lot) out of the norme (It was impossible to not notice it with Kiritsugu, having a caring persona with those he trusted and a downright _terrifying_ one in his missions… or when she was being a bit too much childish).

So she was mentally prepared to see her two younger sisters (maids officially) taking out two handkerchief to wipe the tears in their eyes in sinchrony, one with a megawatt smile on her face and the other… Yeah, lets not talk about that.

Meanwhile the Serious Circle, for now composed only by Kiritsugu and Saber, were both pinching the bridges of their noses, hiding their smirks at the crazy situation that just happened.

With a cough all the attention went to Kiritsugu, and the no-sense of before melt like ice in an hot summer day.

"… Sella, Leysrit, clear the table, please"

"Yes, Kiritsugu-sama" said both humbly, effincently and swiftly doing what was asked by the only male in the room, while Kiritsugu got up and took from the central drawer of the desk a bunch of rolled papers, three dossiers and a walkie-talkie.

He handed two dossiers to Iriviel and Saber, setting the last one and the walkie-talkie in front of his sit, and unrolled the map of a city, divided in two part by a river called 'Mion' if her japanese wasn't completely gone, and at the foot of the map there was the name of the city: 'Fuyuki'.

Kiritsugu turned towards her two sisters and said calmly:

"Sella, Leysritt, could you please guard the door? I would like to avoid some Einzbern entering only to 'subtly' insult me for my metods"

"Yes, Kiritsugu-sama" the two albinos bowed and both exited the room, leaving the two Masters and the Servant Saber alone in the room.

He then sat on his chair, and he said clearly:

" **Trace on** " .

Iriviel heard the subtle sound a knife cutting trough cloth and another she couldn't quite get even for the many times he activated his circuits, and a series of rune appeared on the device, and a female soft voice came from the device:

"Master, can you hear me?"

*TUNK!* that was the noise of Kiritsugu's head impacting on the table, and a sigh was heard from his direction; all the while Iriviel was giggling at the scene and Saber was puzzled at the image before her.

"Maiya" the voice of Kiritsugu came muffled, but the undertone of exasperation was discernible: "How many time did I say that I don't like when you call me with that title now that we three are married with each other?"

"With this? One hundred and seventy-four"

"In this year alone" it wasn't a question, more like a statement

"…Yes, Master"

"*Sigh*"

"Hello, Maiya-chan!" said cheerfully Iriviel

"Good morning, Iriviel-sama" responded Maiya in a slightly more amused yet in the same time warm tone

"Why does she call only me 'master'? It's not fair…"

"Because it's funny, Kiritsugu/Master" said both, and both started laugthing, and an aura of depression encircled Kiritsugu.

All the while Saber was witnessing the 'show', more confused than she ever was in life, and after a few moments she said awkardly:

"Sorry, Master and ladies, shall we not start going through our war informations?"

" _No, no, let them continue what they are doing, Queenie! Is funnier then seeing Kota drunk flirting with a Zeltron!"_ Avenger's voice made itself known in Iriviel head, and she, like everyone would have reacted, shouted:

"KYAAA!" And fell backwards _with_ the chair, hitting the ground pretty hard. With her head.

With a 'Mugyu' she shakingly got up and resit, and, noticing that everyone in the room was staring at her (even Maiya, she was sure), she asked confused, tilting her head slightly to the side:

"What?"

"Iri, are you alright?" asked a concerned Kiritsugu. She rubbed the back of her head and giggled awkardly, and said, a little embarassed:

"Is just Avenger communicating with me through the bond, it surprised me" .

Silence. Then there was an huff from the device, and the calm yet a bit exasperated voice of Maiya came from it:

"I should have expected Iri-sama doing something crazy, really. But summoning a Servant Iri-sama? Isn't that a bit too much even for you?" . Iriviel pouted and with a childish tone of voice she replied:

"Mou, Maiya-chan, why are you so mean with me! Tell me one time when I did something absurd…"

"The eldritch abomination you cooked the only time you went in the kitchen?" immedietly replied Maiya

"That's only on…"

"When one of your potions to cure headache misfired and my hair became white while I continued to breath fire for a day?" butted in Kiritsugu, clearly amused.

"I didn't do it on pur.."

"Or when you risked an international incident when you kicked the nuts of that blonde bastard?" continued the two at the same time, wanting to get their fun out of this situation.

And Iriviel reaction was funny for them.

'Cause seeing the person who was trying to drive them mad for _years_ getting surrounded by an aura of gloom and false sadness, with two little streams of tears going down her cheeks and the expression of a kicked puppy was amusing for two ex assassin, trained to get down the worst of the worst Magi and Dead Apostles.

 _Completely_ normal.

Even Avenger thought like this, she could feel the amusement in their bond, and made this amusement openly known to her:

" _Wow, I didn't think one man could make such a noise! I'm amazed White Lady!"_

" _Why are you all so meanies!"_ she shouted inwardly, her aura of gloom growing around her, and howling sounds started to fill the room.

Untill a very _believable_ savior came to save the Lady's honor!

"Masters, shouldn't we start strategizing? We have an tremendous advatage against our foes in the form of two servants under your guide, for you share the same objective, and Avenger and I will obviously fight only in the end of the War, but we need to make a good use of our advantages to raise our likehood of winning" said Saber with a voice of autority, used both in battlefields and in politics.

The effect was ruined by Avenger:

" _Oh, I love you too, Queenie! I promise that your beating will be stuff of night stories that will be told by parents to children to make them afraid of going out at night, and people will whisper my name, afraid that even the softest murmur will make the noise of your sound defeat resurface into their minds!"_

"… _What?"_ asked Iriviel, a sweatdrop forming on her temple, followed by a nervous laugh.

Meanwhile Kiritsugu coughed and said:

"*Cough* Yes, maybe it's better start planning about this war"

"Even if teasing Iri-sama is one of the high point of the day we can't slouch around like she does" continued the unhappy voice of Maiya.

"Maiya-chan, don't be a meanie!"

" _Oh, my 'Master' is a bit touchy, isn't she?"_

" _Et tu?"_ replied to her Servant, the aura of gloom returning in force until he answered:

" _Yes, I! You left me to a little demon a little while ago, you know!"_

" _Eheh, sorry"_ she bumped her closed fist on her temple while tilting her head.

Kiritsugu and Saber witnessed the silent conversation and Kiritsugu asked his wife:

"By your actions Avenger can hear us, right?"

" _Can hear and see fine, thanks"_ heard in her head only Iriviel, who answered positively to Kiritsugu's question.

"So can he follow from there the briefing?"

Iriiviel nodded another time, and Kiritsugu then started reporting what was known:

"We have pieces of information by certain sources about five of the other six Masters, giving us a sligh advantage against our enemies, even though my role as the Einzbern Master is known…"

Iriviel looked down at her dossier, more accurately at the photo of a blond haired, blue eyed man, with proniments lineaments, an aquiline nose and an arrogant smirk, dressed in an expensive blue suit, who was hugging with one of his white gloved hand a beatiful woman, with red, more tendent to blood like, hair, sad brown eyes and a frown, like she didn't really want nothing to do with the man on her side, and one of her arms were in front of her while the other was on the hand of the man that was hugging her, but it didn't seem to be an affectionate gesture.

" _You are good at noticing particulars, White Lady. What you just described could be important"_ said Avenger with a mysterious air _"Very important"_

" _Ermmm…."_ Iriviel was a bit panicked: she wasn't the one good at using her descriptions, Kiritsugu was!

" _*Sigh* For now listen to the Grim Lord"_ the exasperated voice of Avenger made her focus to Kiritsugu:

"Kayneth Archibald" the voice of Kiritsugu was collected, while he read the content of the dossier "renowned with the title 'Lord El Melloi' and heir of the Archibald family, while being relatively young, around forty years old, he is one of the most important person in the Association, and he has inherited the Archibald's Magic Crest, a ninth generation one…"

" _A ninth generation Magic Crest? What does it mean, White Lady?"_ asked an inquirining Avenger to Iriviel, who was happy to fill him with what she knew, even making a mental image of a blackboard, while she was in front with a chalk writing all the informations she knew:

" _A Magic Crest is basically the base of a Magi lineage, with every bearer giving part of their circuits, and so the misteries they researched. Usually the same kind of misteries are inherited with the Crest, making a Magic Crest the phisical rappresentation of the family's Thaumaturgy. Then there is the classification: in a Magic Crest every generation's head give part of his circuits to the Crest, almost always around five, so the Archibald's Magic Crest has probably forty five Circuits available"_

" _And do we know what is the Archibald's clan 'Mistery'?"_ wondered Avenger

" _For now listen to Kiritsugu"_ replied smug Iriviel.

"… Dual Elemental attribute, Water and Wind, and is among the best magi in the Clock Tower, specialized in warding and necromancy. These two specialization coupled with the sorcery trait legated with the Third Magic through the use of death spirits to power his wards thanks to his Magic Crest, he is one of the most dangerous enemies in this war, and that's not counting the sheer economical and political power in his hands" concluded Kiritsugu with a mild frown.

Saber knitted her eyebrows and, rubbing her chin, she asked:

"Who is this woman? Is she bound to this man only in a proffessional relationship or in a more profound level?"

"She is his fiancè, Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri"

" _*Munch* I think I will call her Too Many Names, or TMN. Do you agree with me, White Lady, or do you have a better one? I'm open to suggestions"_ the tone used by Avenger was amused, but it was another thing that took Iriviel attention.

Namely the fact that he was eating something, and her daughter was with him, and she knew her very well. Above all she knew her sweet tooth, that came from her.

And now had a Servant being at hers beck and call through cuteness. So she asked, calm:

" _What are you eating?"_

" _The Little Sprite called it 'lemon curd tart'. It's really good. Do you want that I take some there?"_ replied Avenger, catching on Iriviel's irritation, but for a _not wholly_ wrong reason.

Iriviel's eyebrow twitched and while continuing to listen to the information about this 'Sola-Ui' she asked to Avenger:

" _So my daughter is eating sweets before lunch uh?"_.

She could feel Avenge's dread starting to rise upon her anger, and she continued:

" _And she took Sella's lemon tart, right?"_ she demanded to her Servant, serious.

Only assent came from the other end of the bond, coupled by his ever-growing fear.

Then she ended her line of thought:

" _Yes, could you please reserve a quarter for me later?"_

Silence from the other end, and then amazement and amusement came a moment after, followed by Avenger saying:

" _Roger that, we will try to not devour your part"_

" _And live some for Kiritsugu and Saber!"_

" _THAT I can't swear on, sorry"_ and then he resumed to do what he was doing and listening to Kiritsugu's briefing…

…who had already finished and Saber was summing up to be sure herself about it. Convenient:

"So this woman come from a Magi-noble family with old roots, is twenty-two years old, is in a arranged marriage with this Master and will probably come with him in the upcoming War; we don't know about her competence other than she is very versed in healing magic and her lineage has gifted her a number of circuits higher than the norm" .

"And she doesn't have her family's Magic Crest" added Maiya "The Crest went to her younger brother, he could be a very good Magus on chart, but from the rumors and the informations we have gathered he doesn't have the necessary attitude to be a First Grade Magus."

"He isn't a murderous psychopatic who would defile the body and the soul of others for their own selfish dream, in other words" said Kiritsugu with more than a little anger in his voice, a sour expression painted on his face.

Iriviel nodded at his free insult of her family: even she knew that the ways of most of the First and some Second Grade Magi were at best ruthless at their research for the Root and at worst were down-right insane for the research of it, destroying their own humanity for that dream, both literally and symbolically. In this matter the Wizards were a lot better than them

Kiritsugu had told her the stories of all his missions, after all.

The first months after they encountered he tried his hardest to push her away, not wanting to get too much attached to her even with his growing affection towards her caused by his own mental scars, so, while teaching her how to live, he related his stories in every violent, heart-breaking detail.

And it completely backfired; if before she saw him as a perfect hero, without faults or doubts, after she saw a man she could relate, with a wounded soul that he showed to her, and, even with those deeds that the people would have judged evil, she understood the reasons he did those, and how much it broke him to do them.

So her love for him became stronger, and what was only her little desire of normancy became a polyamorous relationship between her, Kiritsugu and Maiya, and all of them being the parents of their splendid daughter Illyasviel.

Theirs was a crazy, larger than normal and loving family.

Then Avenger's wonderings went through her musings:

" _So TMN is probably furious by this, and the relationship between her and this Master is tensed"_

" _What do you mean, Avenger?"_ asked Iriviel, curious about the reason for Avenger to say this allegation about the woman:

" _From what you said the Magic Crest are only passed to the heir, yes?"_

" _Yes, It is"_ answered Iriviel, not really following the line of thought of her Servant:

" _And she is an accomplished 'Magus', right? One who could have inherited her family's 'Magic Crest'?"_

" _Yes…"_ she said, not sure where her Servant was going with his statements:

" _And this Crest was given instead to her younger brother, who isn't considered to be a 'good' Magus, whatever it means, AND they passed her rigth of being the first born so…"_ he was interrupted by Iriviel who finished:

"… _So she is jealous about the fact that her brother will become the next head of her family and not her!"_ then she became confused again: _" Why would she be angry with her soon-to-be husband then?"_

" _Because it was an arranged marriage"_ a her confusion Avenger carried on _:" I don't know how you do it here, but from where I come an arranged marriage is an agreement between families, not a couple who love each other. It's possible for love to bloom even with this odds, but in this case the marriage was agreed with her family who she probably despise, and her fianceè is an heir…"_ he let her finish his line of thought

"… _who would only remind her of the fact that the family has again insulted her, this time with the fact that she will have no choice of deciding who she marries. Then the envy and the anger of being married to a Crest bearer would be unbearable"_ she then started rubbing her neck _"Then there is being a good Magus…"_

" _What?"_ asked Avenger, and Iriviel inwardly punch-pumped, pleased of being able in this discussion to say something that she knew:

" _Every Magus goal is to reach Akasha, the Root of all things or every name you want to call it"_ at the silence she believed that he knew and continued: _"But a good number of them would do everything to reach it: from offering their sons and daughter to become blood-sucking undead to even kill the entire population of a village. Even killing babies in a nursery"_ she ended her little lesson with a growl, remembering some of the stories Kiritsugu told her.

" _What a lovely bunch they are"_ said Avenger with a dry tone, but his anger was feebly perceptible through their bond, repressed by his mental barriers. She, unfazed by his comment, continued:

" _This sort of thinking makes them sociopathic, unable to relate with the mundane society or even with other Magus, and this line of thinking is even encouraged by the Mage's Association, breeding more unstability in the individuals every generation, from parents to descendants, caused by the fact that growing up fearing to be discarded for being too bad to be a Magus, or being too much trusting, or even dying at the age of twelve for an experiment gone wrong is considered GOOD BY THEIR OWN PARENTS!_ " she now was ranting inwardly, not a sign of agitation seen by the other people in the room, that were too occupated updating their report on a new master, a certaing Waver Velvet if she heard right. After a few moments she resumed like nothing happened:

" _So what you have said is very probable, but we can't see the depth of her hatred towards Archibald"_ she finished, putting her hands on her lap, and her fingers clawerd to the cloth of her dress like claws, trying to deffuse her rage towards the kind who created her.

Avenger remained calm, and let his Master calm a bit, and, when he knew that she was more calm, he said with his voice collected:

" _We can't know for sure, but if the probability is high it should be wise to try to use it. For now I would say to control that photo, it should be interesting"_ then he was distracted and said _:" I have to go. The Little sprite want to go out, it seems"_ and after a few moments the link became silent again.

She nodded absent-mindedly on the last part and did as he instructed, and started mentally describing it: it was an official photo of the annuncement of their betrothal, and the used it because it was the only one that was the only image of enough quality that wasn't a portrait, and even then it was taken with a modified wizard camera, that in place of making the picture move like they were filmed for a few seconds it was colored and in a quality that not even mundanes reached yet. Details that she had already archived like the smirk of the man or the red hair of the woman or even the sad gaze… or the frown of being near him… or her hand put there to push away the other…

"I see this!" shouted Iriviel in herself, interrupting Kiritsugu while he was talking.

All the attention went to her for the second time in this meeting, but this time she became flustered and started shuffling her feet nervously, looking at them a bit embarassed at her outburst.

Kiritsugu, after a few moments, inquired with a slight grin:

"Iri, what did you notice about Kotomine Kirei that we didn't before? Usually you don't scream like that"

"Apart when we…" started to say Maiya, being interrupted at once by Iriviel and Kiritsugu:

"Maiya-chan!/Maiya, now is not the time" the two Masters in the room said at once, Iriviel in a state more similar to an atomic meltdown, while Kiritsugu had only the barest trace of red on the tip of his ears.

"Sorry" said with a tone more like a cat that ate the canary than an apology, her amusement almost palpable through the runes-covered device.

Then a cough came from the only Servant present in the room:

"Maybe Lady Emiya would enlight us about her gesture if we let her explain herself" said calmly Saber, but her irritation was more than a bit detectable, and the serious calm in the room replaced the lively one.

Iriviel breathed in and, after she organized her thoughts, she started talking:

"I think that Sola-Ui hates Kayneth" .

Silence. The (usual) blunteness of Iriviel was enough to make all the people who were listening pay _extreme_ attention to what she was going to say; Kiritsugu even took his trustworthy pen and notebook, where he wrote down the day before the datas about Avenger.

Iriviel continued telling the guess that she and Avenger had made:

"We know that Sola-Ui isn't the heir of the Sophia-Ri family, who passed it to her less gifted and younger brother, and we can safely say that she is more than a bit miffed about it"

"Yes, there are a lot of talks in the Clock Tower about this schism in the family" said Kiritsugu crossing his arms before him: "But those are rumors, too much unreliable to use for sure informations"

"But the same family made an arrenged marriage with someone she didn't know only for politics, pratically _sold_ for favours, and she was given to an _heir_ , someone who was given what she craved so much for." she continued calmly, letting her magus-like persona through.

After all, she was a Thaumaturgy practiser closer to a magus than a spellcaster, unlike Maiya and Kiritsugu who used Thaumaturgy only to help them in their works, she used it to help them through research, and, while not wanting to go to the lenght of the First or even the Second rate Magi to further her goals, she had gained a scientific, rational, apathic nature, one that she hated to use in front of her family but when it was absolutely necessary.

Like now.

"Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald is the perfect example of a First rate Magus: focused on his research, given what he wanted from birth and prideful of his old blood. All things common in First rate Magi, but those 'qualities' make First rate Magi abrasive and 'strange' at the very least, or, in some of the cases, they are sociopathic, unable to get along even in their own families. So now we have a woman deprived of her right of first-born, deprived of her achievement as Magus for the Sophia-Ri Magic Crest was given to someone less worthy, deprived of her right to choose who marry, even if with the kind of mental distortion hereditated by the Magi it would have been difficult, and sold to an heir who she didn't know for being used as a house-wife. It's not the best prospect of life to give to a sociopath, or am I wrong?"

"No, you aren't" said Kiritsugu, stopping writing in his notes: "But these are all suppositions, hypothesis, with no real proofs behind them. It could be very dangerous to found our course of action using only words"

"Master, in the Clock Tower there were a lot of rumors about it" said Maiya, her soft voice coming through the walkie-talkie "Even our contacts said about it when we asked about informations about Archibald, but it seemed more like old wives' tales than secure informations, so we discarded them"

"Yes, those seemed more like tittle-tattle done in a pub than infos about him. Maybe we should…" but he was interrupted by his wife who was tapping in the photo in front of him, and when both him and Saber started watching the immage, she said, with a sharp smirk on her face that betrayed her innocent tone:

"Look at this Kiritsugu: doesn't it look like a woman who wants to castrate the man she is beside to?" .

Kiritsugu shuddered and then he started inspecting the photo more closely, and, after a few moments, the barest twitch of his eyebrow was the only thing out of place in the otherwise emotionless face. Then he put the photo on the table and pinched the bridge of his nose, and a profound sigh came through his mouth and after a few seconds he murmured these words:

"I'm really becoming rusty… to miss so much is ridicolous…" Saber turned towards her Master and asked, raising an eyebrow:

"What do you mean Master? From what I've learned from the Grail it's normal to be photographed even in tense situations, so why is it so much vile that it has passed your attention" Kiritsugu raised the photo in front of him and said to his Servant:

"This is the photo of the engagement cerimony between Kayneth El Melloi Archibald and Sola-Ui Nuada-Re Sophia-Ri. Only this photo costed the salary of one month of a middle class man, and it's and official photo; if I could make an example of your times is like a portrait of the one you are going to marry; and if she dislekes this situation so much to even going against her 'duty'" he quoted with his fingers, and his tone became even sarcastic :" Then she must hate all the people involved, starting with his 'poor' to-be-husband" the 'poor' part was dripping with so much sarcasm that it could have drowned deserts "But the thing is that it wouldn't have been enough alone: it could've been simply an error of the photograph, or the disdain towards physical contact common in Magi. But coupled with the rumors running in the Clock Tower and the reasons of the marriage itself not working thanks to the reasons given by Iri makes the chances of being a great discord betweent the too much to be simply ignored" . Saber nodded and started frowning in concentration, making even small grunts every now and then, with closed eyes, while Kiritsugu and Maiya were writing down what transpired at that moment, if the scribbling sounds coming from the device were signals of it, preparing plans that would be discussed at a later date.

It was really boring; like watching the grass growing or looking at the snow melting boring. She thought of starting making calculations for the last minute potions, but they were all ready and were with Maiya, prepared for every sudden problem, so that was out. So she started thinking about the enemy masters, but before today she read the dossiers ad nauseam and she wasn't a secret agent in disguise like her two lovers, neither was she a King like Saber was. She knew how to connect the dots, her own Origin, coupled by the teachings of the two assassins in the family, helped to do that, but it wasn't her own favourite activity; she liked to help Kiritsugu and Maiya, and she knew that her help would very probabily save their lives, but she knew that unfortunately people would die because of her help, her loved ones would mourn, and their hate would be directed towards her loved ones, making her abilities needed once more. In an never-ending circle, where even the slightest mistake could make Kiritsugu and Maiya dead. She hated that circle, it was cruel, heartless, and stupid.

It was the reason she would sacrifice herself, to end that circle, making sure that there would be a never-ending peace in the world.

For those she loved.

Then she slapped her cheeks and thought:

' _Now is not the time! I won't become an old man who is remembering of old stories! I'm not old and I'm not a man, and certainly I'm not an old man!'_

Aaaand she has become silly again. Damn. But you have to think that she is an homunculus made only to be sacrificed for the Einsbern to regain the Heaven's Feel. These were very likely the last days of her life, and she wouldn't enjoy them by moping around! She wanted to help her loved ones, and make sure that they, even with her death, would live happily!

Kiritsugu noticed the moods changes that Iriviel was going through, and thought rightly that she was upset by something, so he asked, concerned, something that would help him understand:

"Is Avenger giving you problem, Iri?"

That snapped Iriviel out of her musings, and replied shaking her head:

"No, Avenger isn't a meanie, not at all! He is really helpful in fact, he helped me to get some details and he pieced them together, I only helped him by giving him informations about Magi!"

"Wait, Lady Emiya, did you just say that the Rascal wasn't informed about the ongoing of the present days?" asked Saber, raising an eyebrow but not betraying any other expression of her bemusement.

"Yeah, why, is that strange?" said Iriviel, tilting her head to the side and question marks floating on her head:

"Iris" started Kiritsugu "do you remember that Servants are given knowledge by the Holy Grail about the era they are summoned, coupled with being polyglot able to talk _all_ the languages present on Earth?"

"Yes, so?" replied an oblivious Irisviel, her question marks multiplying above her. Kiritsugu sighed and raised his hand:

"It could mean two things above all: one" and one finger was raised "The summoning went wrong and there are problems with him and possibily even with Saber" he turned towards the Servant: "There are matters that we couldn't discuss yesterday because of the ruckus caused by Avenger's summoning and actions, Saber?" he asked.

She thought about it for some moments and then she answered:" It seems that the summoning doesn't let me go into spiritual form. My apologies, Master"

"It isn't a very serious matter, nothing that can't be solved by purchasing another fly ticket... No, lets make it two, just in case. Maiya, can you take care of that?" said calmly Kiritsugu, and the equally calm voice of Maiya came through the walkie-talkie:

"Yes Master, they will be ready in an e-mail tomorrow morning"

"So they will be ready for... this afternoon, right?" wondered aloud Irisviel. Time zones tended to be a bit confusion when you were talking with a person literally on the other side of the world.

"Yes, they unfortunately will not be first class, but they will be ready" said the fantly amused voice of Maiya, then, with an extremely devout tone she said:" We will see soon, Master"

"See you soon, and thanks, Maiya" said Kiritsugu, using a tone that made Saber rise both her eyebrows and Irisviel made a blinding smile.

After all, he didn't use a loving tone with the two lately, so hearing him use it was heartwarming for her, and she cried, using, without the need, the hands as a megaphone:

"We will see you soon, Maiya-chan!" The woman-child even waved her hand, not remembering that Maiya couldn't see the other end:

"See you soon, Irisviel-sama" responded the amused voice of Maiya.

Kiritsugu muttered again **'Trace On'** , put the right hand over the walkie-talkie and the runes upon it flicker a few and then their lights died after a handful of seconds.

He then leaned on the back of the chair and sighed, putting his hands behind his head, creating a calm silence. After a few moments was Saber to break it:

"And the second effect, Master? What is it?" asked an inquiring Saber, not used to be left in the dark. He hummed and then turned towards Irisviel and asked:

"Before that: Irisviel, exactly what did he ask?" She hummed, tapping her finger on her chin and closing her eyes, and then she said, stopping her finger and resting the hand over the other on the table and then she said, with a collected tone:

"He only asked me about Magic Crests, why?" Knowing him it could be a very serious matter, so it was better not gallivanting around the subject.

"So he didn't know that, uh? Let me see..." The Master of Saber started mumbling between himself:" They were created how much ago? In the end of the first millenium? No, before that. When did the Magi start use them, Iri?" asked at the end Kiritsugu, looking towards his wife.

"If I remember correctly the first documented Magic Crests were created at the end of the Age of the Gods, around the IV century a.D." replied Irisviel helpfully:

"So he was before that. It doesn't make sense..." said Kiritsugu, closing his eyes and he blew a loud breath, and he was in absolute need of a cigarette, a whisky and to lie down for a long time.

But Saber didn't know it, so she asked unrelenting:

"What are you talking about, Master? What doesn't make sense?"

"The fact that Avenger most probably comes from the future" said with a calm voice, that betrayed the enormity of that statement.

A Berserker Class could have started a carnage inside the castle at the same moment and Saber wouldn't probably move an inch. Then her posture became more regal, with a literal aura of autority surrounding her unconsciously, her face the perfect example of magnificence, and she said:

"What are you meaning, Master? That Avenger, a Rascal, hails from a distant time before us? Isn't madness only thinking about such a possibility?"

"Saber" said Kiritsugu, impassive in front of the majesty of his Servant:" We thought about this possibility because during the Dreams' Cycle Irisviel saw humans using some kind of modern weapons; or rather, more modern than the newest weapons now in circulations of at least two hundreds of years. Not only that, but the behavior of the Magi in his time is completely different from those of our time"

"Could you say what happened in that dream?" asked Saber, her regal aura don't receding.

But it didn't make effect even with Irisviel, who replied in an apolegetic tone: "I'm sorry, Saber, but I can't talk about my Servant memories so openly. I was already rude with talking about them with Kiritsugu, I can't talk to you about those memories without the consent of my Servant"

That made Saber recoil a bit, and, after thinking for a bit, she said, bowing her head:" I apologise for my rude behavior, Lady Emiya."

"Shouldn't you apologise to Avenger instead of me, Saber? Not only for this, but for all that happened yesterday?" said a clueless Irisviel, looking every bit as confused as one _shouldn't_ be after seeing what happened only the day before.

Saber looked like she ate three time three lemons after hearing these words, but she closed her eyes and admitted, reluctant:" I shall... apologise... to the Rascal for my actions the next time I encounter him"

"Good, good, Saber! Now why don't we..."

" _Irisviel, I need help, now!"_ said the grave voice of Avenger through their bond.

" _Avenger, what's happening!?"_ responded Irisviel, completely baffled and worried by the seriousness of her Servant.

" _Illyasviel and I are under attack of a pack of vornskrs, come here now and bring help!"_

 _Galen's POV, five minutes before, Einsbern's Castle's Forest_

"Little Sprite, another walnut for me!"

"No fair! This time is at the best of ten!"

"At the best of eleven it is!"

Playing with a child

That was the terrible and dreadful act of Starkiller, hidden hand of Darth Vader, slayer of Jedi, defeater of a Lord of the Sith, and creator of the Alliance for the Restoration of the Republic.

It only lacked him stealing an ice cream and giving it to the child on top of him and the picture would be complete.

Alas, there wasn't any parlor around, or even person, so stealing the 'Lemon curd tart' would be the devilish action of the day.

And now they were challenging each other to spot walnuts. Galen was winning only by a margin of nine to zero.

Call it petty, but he wouldn't lose to a little girl, so he was giving everything to win.

Ah, on this point:

"Another one, Little Sprite!" said triumphal Galen, pointing to a tall tree half a hundred meters in front of them:

"Cheater! You are a cheater! Meanie!" cried the Little Sprite, bonking her small fists on his head, her tiny legs kicking against his chest, her little body almost swinging on his neck, without being successful in moving it.

Galen in the meantime was getting the kick out of doing this small thing; he didn't enjoy them in his life, after all, and only now he could be childish in his actions, not burdened by his fate, able to be nosense for a bit.

Now he could see the white of the fresh snow without having to soil it with remnant of battles, he could smell the pure air without sulling it with the stench of cinder and burnt flesh, he could touch the bark of the trees with one hand without the other always touching the cold hilt of his lightsaber, and he could hear the crackle of his footsteps on the snow and the chirping of the 'sparrows' - the Little Sprite called them this- on the branches...

But, after a few moments, the chirping was replaced by frantic flapping, and then only silence surrounded the two.

' _Fuck.'_ Thought Galen _'This isn't good, not in the slightest'_.

Before going on with the story, we have to remember a thing: Galen made two important missions in the Death world of Felucia, and those missions taught him a lot of things; like how much he hated Sarlaccs (above all being _inside_ a Sarlacc), the resiliance of its inhabitants, but one thing was very useful now: that when _very big_ and _very hungry_ things like rancors came towards him, it wasn't the sound of its footsteps, or his roar, but the wildlife around him that alerted him of its arrival.

And now something _very big_ and _very hungry_ was around.

Galen didn't lose time and started sensing his sorroundings through the Force, searching for those predators.

And boy did he find them:

' _Damn! Twenty-something, vornskrs like, bigger than me creatures are coming here! What the... No, I don't have much time, maybe three minutes, before they are on us, I have to put Illyasviel somewhere secure'_

Unfortunately, it was easier said than done: they were too far from the castle to take a little child safely without being more in danger than before, because if he run too fast her body, not used to those speed, would break down, and less than that the vornskrs would be on them, and that's not counting the fact that they were inside the woods, so it would be harder to shrug them off, so it was out; fighting with her behind him would be a gigantic mistake on his part, because that could be used by those wolves to hinder him, and she would be in danger, something unacceptable; so the only way would be to put her on an high branch of one of the trees around, and if one of those mutts tried to jump he would cut them down or grab them as a last resort, leaving Illyasviel secure but him opened as the paunch of an Hutt.

So, after this planning which lasted only seconds, he asked in a collected way, without stopping watching the way where the pack would have come from:

"Illyasviel, do you know how to climb trees?"

Illyasviel, noticing the shift of behavior on her self proclaimed big brother, stopped her tantrum, leaned forward, making eye contact with him, and nodded with a big smile, asking:

"Yes, onii-chan! I'm the best in the world at doing it! Do you want to look me when I do it?"

"Yeah" and he then pointed to the last walnut he noticed, exactly at the highest branch that looked able to hold her up: "Climb over there, and don't do anything for a while; if you do it, you'll see something cool, okay?"

"Something 'cool'? But onii-chan, isn't now cold enough?" replied Illyasviel with her red eyes shining with childish innocence. Galen sighed and said:

"Sorry, I intended something incredible, but only if you do it, okay?" now Galen was getting hasty, after all now the beasts would be almost in sight.

"Okay! **Starting circuits!** " and Galen felt the familiar feeling of the Force, moving around the little girl on his shoulders, and then the weight of said little girl was no longer carried by him, and when he turned to see how she was doing, his eyes became wide open:

' _Wow'_ he thought, amazed _'That trick is very useful it seems'_. Because seeing a little girl, weighing a little more than a laser turret, climbing branch to branch using her _hair_ as rampons was an amazing sight to be spectator.

But he couldn't let himself be distracted by it, so he did the last thing he could do before the fight: call the cavalry.

" _Irisviel, I need help, now!"_ his voice without wavering, trying to be the most collected as possible.

" _Avenger, what's happening!?"_ responded Irisviel, seemingly surprised by his tone, and unable to understand their situation, so he repeated his sentence in a more explicative way:

" _Illyasviel and I are under attack of a pack of vornskrs, come here now and bring help!"_.

For a moment the bond was silent, and then with a voice that, even if collected, betrayed her dread, Irisviel ordered:

" _Avenger, protect her"_

" _Do you even need to ask, White Lady? I will protect the Little Sprite even if I have to lose my limbs to do so!"_ replied a confident Galen, his body tensing for the incoming battle, and his lightsaber, summoned like Queenie said how it should be done, resting in his hand, his posture prepared in his reverse Shien form, and waited.

And then he heard them.

Mad howls, hungry howls, howls that foretold slaughter, howls that portrayed bestiality itself.

Illyasviel whimpered from where she was, her fear near palpable for him for how much suffocating it was, so he did the only things that could help: he connected the emphatic part of the Force, using it to share his feelings of tranquillity and confidence, then he turned slightly towards her, a small smirk gracing his lips, and talked:

"I said to you that I would show you something incredible, right Little Sprite?" at her shaky nod he continued: "Then let your big brother beat up some mutts, and then I will show you a lot of what I can do, and don't do anything, okay?"

The little girl calmed down and Galen could feel that she was confident in his ability, calm about her life and a little... bloodthirsty?

He didn't have time to think about it, because the howls were coming nearer and nearer, so he closed his eyes, and let his sense extend trough the Force.

He could feel twenty-two super-vornskrs going towards them in an semilune formation, and they were, like he sensed before, very bigger than a vornskr, and they were of course stronger than the normal vornskr, but were even two- no, _three_ times quicker than them. Splendid. And they were probably sturdier too.

And at the rate they were going they would be on him at five, four, three, two...

' _Onii-chan!'_

 _One_

 _Click-FSH-ZoOOM_

The blue light of his lightsaber cut between the powerful jaws of the creature, cutting through it from head to bottom like an hot knife would cut through butter, not leaving it even the time to whimper while it was killed for how fast the blow was.

When the stench of burnt flesh and fur reached Galen's nose, he opened his eyes, and took the first real look of his opponents.

The first thing he noted was that they were _ugly_ , completely wrong beings: their bodies too big and too muscular to be natural, their heads out of all proportion to the rest of the body, their fangs so much big that their maws couldn't be closed, and their eyes were of a sickly yellow, and all were around the same size, as big as the smallest human level mount, tall at the best five feet, and long seven, but one, that was clearly bigger than all its fellows, was as tall as a Wampa, long eleven feet, with paws big as his face, the thighs big as his torso, and maws that would probably chew a human in half not unlike one could do with a gummy candy.

And what he felt from them was a strange mix of _ragehungerangerastonishmentinsanity_ , that made him mentally recoil from the psychical contact with those beast, but one thing he could feel above all:

' _The Dark Side is deep-rooted within these beasts'_

Seductive and corrupted, it oozed off those abominions like waves in the ocean for how much it controlled and mutated them; the Force itself, which Galen was now using, seemed to want those creatures exterminated.

There was only one thing that made him calmer, that all the creatures objective was to take him, because if not they would have made a circle around the tree to take the girl behind him, and their minds were hungry _at him,_ not at her, thanks the Force.

Still he didn't let those informations change his objective, and he prepared his most defensive stance, the Soresu, preparing for their attacks.

He didn't have to wait long.

The biggest vornskr snarled and one of the smaller abomination roared and tried to lunge at him, but it was immedietly halved not unlike his breathen, and Galen returned to the Third stance, with a smirk, in waiting; but the other beasts of the pack remained there, observing their fallen fellow, without doing nothing, not even growling, until their alpha roared, and ten of the mongrels, the whole right flank, charged at him, slavering not unlike they were rabid.

Galen only tightened his grip on the hilt and attacked the first with a sidelong swing from the right to the left, dividing it unevenly; then he changed his grip, returning to his favoured Fifth, and pressed using his momentum with another blow, through the left side of the head and chopping off his left arm, the saber cutting it effortlessly; for the momentum of the beast and its weight, the abomination landed badly, and with a sonorous *Snap* the right forearm broke, and the beast now was disabled on the ground, next to death; he dodged a third, changed unaffectedly his stance to the Juyo, and with a fast turn he executed it, decapitating it with an aggressive slash.

He felt a pang from the Force, and, coupled with the roar in the same direction, reversed the grip on his hilt and pierced behind him; the roar stopped when the *FSHH* sound of the plasma blade sinking in the palate of the beast and piercing its brains and skull started, and when retracted his blade it fell lifelless on the ground; another nudge from the Force made him look at his right, where one of the bigger disgraces was charging at him along with the last five of the first wave of attackers, the distance between them reducing by the second, but he didn't let it distract him, on the contrary he deactivated his lightsaber, twisted slightly his body to the left and put his right fist over his left palm, and _concentrated:_

' _one hundred, ninety, eighty'_

The sounds came muffled, his breaths were sonorous in his ears, the colors around him faded to shades of grey, and all the movements around him became so very slow:

' _seventy, sixty, fifty'_

While the abominations charghed but Galen wasn't fearful of them, but his little smirk and his eyes displayed only self-confidence and victory, while a globe appeared between his fist and his palm, energy radiating from it like waves, and the yellow eyes of the beasts, which before were conveying their hunger, their madness and their rage now displayed only one thing: a primal, feral fear. But it was to late for them:

' _Forty, thirty, now!'_

He _Pushed_ with all the power concentrated in the orb, and it was felt: like thunder it went towards the creatures, not sparing nor saving anything in its wake, not the trees, not the snow, not the branches, and surely not the beasts, which were swept away like leaves in a windy day of autumn, but with results much more gory:

Bones snapped and exited from the flesh with dark blood poured on the white snow, whimpers of approaching death were heard from the victims of the Jedi; the trees, which before simbolized the might of the nature, fell before his power and the snow in the range of the Push was vaporized, with steams going up in the cloudy sky.

Galen retracted his arms and admired the destruction he caused with a raised eyebrow and looked at his palm and then to the scene in front of him, thoughts about the whole situation whirling through his head:

' _How in the name of the Force did this happen? I'm sure I wasn't able to do a Push this powerful without using much more power, so how did this happen?'_

He didn't have time to think, though. He turned towards the other half of the pack, which now were moving back, now their growls were more similar to whimpers of pups then threats of mighty predators, with their ugly muzzles looking to the sides and towards the ground, and now only their leader was openly growling at him, watching him with hate and hunger.

Then a young voice sounded behind him, that made his blood freeze in his veins:

"Wow" . It was only a little sound, that would normally go unnoticed by all, and a normal person would be surprised by his reaction to it.

But the fact that made him straigten his back was the fact that she now had caught the attention of the beasts in front of him, that now were curious, and above all of the alpha, which jaws, after a sniff towards the tree, were morphing into something very similar to a hungry smirk directed to the Little Sprite on the branch.

A long howl came from the abomination, which made his soul slightly tremble, and made Illyasviel cry from fear;

Then the last beasts, with the alpha as the last, attacked: the beasts divided in two while chargin: one part, formed with the mayority of the remaining part of the pack, seven wolves with the alpha, attacked Galen directly, while, the last three went towards the tree, their objective the little, now scared girl, on it.

And that left Galen with only few options, other than reactivate his lightsaber, and few moments to choose which one to use:

' _Could I dispatch those in front of me and then help her? No, too much time, she would be killed. Then go in front of their path and protect her nearer? No, it would be like before, only that then I would have even less time. Then I can only kill the ones attacking Illyasviel, grasping them with the Force to avoid to let myself be disarmed before those in front of me, and maybe even moving them all in front of me and make a little time for me, and wait for the help that should arrive in some moments. Okay, now!'_

With his left hand he made a grasping motion, and the beasts stopped moving and were raised above the ground, then, with an harsh motion with his entire arm, they crashed on almost all the small orde in front of him.

Almost.

"GAH!" was the pained cry made by Galen when the biggest of the creatures hit him with a paw, in a feat of incredible speed for a creature so much big and heavy, which made him fly against the tree that he was protecting like he was weightless, and when he collided, a wet thud was heard by Illyasviel, while his lightsaber flew away, deactivating itself, and after the collision he bounced three meters to the side.

The vision of Galen became blurred for the sudden hit, and he felt a stinging sensation on his chin, but otherwise he was unbelievably unharmed by a hit that would normally be much more painful for him, not dangerous, he had survived worse, but painful yes. He started shrugging the slight pain and the daze off and prepared to stand up and destroy them in the quickest and most painful way possible, reinforcement coming or not.

Unfortunately it wasn't the reaction done by the impact; the crash made the tree tremor, and the little girl upon it didn't have the strenght to remain clinged to the branch and, with a screech, she fell on the cold snow, whimpering at the impact.

Illyasviel raised her head, and her complexion, despite her albinism, became even paler, more white than the snow around her, at the sight of the beasts in front of her, no longer screened by her being above them, wanting nothing more than to devour her.

One of the youngest beast, pushed by its hunger of flesh and its own cruelty, swooped down on the little girl, who cried and showed instinctively her back to it, her eyes closed by the fear of the monster behind her, which maws were almost smirking at the taste of taking its prey,

But this course of action would be the last of a long list of mistakes made by them.

Which would be punished with the stench of cinder and ash in the air and the wailing of the dying of the abominations.

" _ ***RAAAHH!***_ "this was the sound of anger of the young Sith.

* **Crack!** * this was the reaction born from the hatred of the young Sith, the object of this reaction now convulsiong in his hand, its dying whimpers stopping its fellows creatures where they were, even the biggest of them.

" **Eheh** " the dark chuckle coming from the young Sith, amused and pleased upon the suffering of the creature, released his grip on the creature, which fell lifeless on the ground, and then watched its pack, now truly scared upon the visage of the young Lord, with his sulfuric yellow eyes, and then continued talking, his voice changed, warped, by the Dark side: " **Yesterday I was really angry, you know? So much angry that I even forgot to enjoy the suffering of that stupid worm, but this time I will** " .

And violet sparks were born between his fingers, their power not fulgurating their master, and then he pointed lazily his two hands towards the pack.

Howls of pain started, frenzied tries of moving out of the way of the natural disaster were stopped by their convulsion when the lighting stroke down, and in the end those convulsions continued even when the life got out of their eyes.

" **And only one remains** " . And in fact only one of the abominations remained, which tried to escape first, but the lightnings didn't give the chance to, and now it was looking at him subsied.

Starkiller summoned his lightsaber with the Force, it flew in his hand dutiful, and its cruel red light was now bright in the cold cloudy day.

The smirk on the face of Starkiller became larger while looking at this light, and he started walking towards the creatures without stopping looking, and said: " **It has passed a while since I looked at it, you know? It was lost, and now is mine again** ".

The creature, knowing it would die fast if it didn't do anything, tried to lunge at him.

It was all in vain.

The cruel saber severed its arms before, while the wielder mokingly avoided its body, and when it tried to get up using its legs, they were cut the same way.

It continued to growl at him, while the young Lord now looked at its eyes, and with fake pity he said: " **Come on, you know better than me the first rule: the strong endures, and the weak dies** " . And then, piercing its head with his weapon, he gave an end to its suffering.

Starkiller looked at the corpse with an unreadable face, then he closed his eyes and, like blood being washed from a steel blade, the light of the saber became spotless blue again, and when he reopened his eyes they were again a warm brown.

He exhaled, deactivated his weapon, and slowly turned around, coming at sight with the one he was protecting, who was looking at him stock-still, her red eyes steady on the scene caused by his ruthless actions.

He opened his mouth, and with an unnatural calmness and an incredible serenity he uttered:" If now you are scared of me it's normal, Little Sprite. It's difficoult being around someone like me and not being disgusted by how much I'm good at this" and he opened his arms, pointing at the carnage around them, and then his arms flopped against his side, his gaze now on the tortured carcass of the alpha that he slaughtered.

He heard tiny footsteps from where he was, but his gaze never left the slaughter he caused, and his mind was too engaged in understanding the reason for losing control again in so little time.

So much he was taken by his thoughts that he didn't notice the Little Sprite hugging his leg with her two little arms until she already did it, and when he looked at her, incredulous, she raised her eyes and met his gaze with hers, and with the angriest tone she could use she said:

"Baka nii-chan" .

He tilted his head and replied with a: "What?" , but she didn't stop and continued:

"You are an idiot, Onii-chan. No, idioter than a idiot, the idiotest of all!" she was shouting at him now: "You saved me! And not only you don't ask anything, not even a kiss, but you talk like it's your fault for destroying the mean wargs! You are stupid *Hic*" her eyes started tearing up, while she continued to shout: "The stupidest of all *Hic* I would be dead now without Onii-chan, and he *Hic* thinks now that I hate him, and he will live me *Hic*, like Mama *Hic* Please don't leave me!" and she started crying, gripping his leg like it was her life line.

Galen, not knowing exactly what to do, picked her up and let her latch around his neck, and he started rubbing her back in a very awkward way, while she cried on his shoulder, letting her own terror flow through them.

All the while Galen didn't stop staring at the destruction he caused, and, during that cold, cloudy day, he inhaled and felt the scent of cinders and burnt meat.

He was at home.

 _ **AN notes**_

 _ **Hello! So, this is the 1st chapter of 'I shall be freed from Fate'! So how was-**_

 _? POV, ? time, ?_

" _Why did those cursed bastards make me go to the other side of the world to talk with those thrice damned gooks?!"_

" _Honey, not in front of Dudlykins!"_

" _Sorry, dear" ._

 _The two people talking were a man, a very big and very fat man, with black hair and big mustaches and two small, blue, eyes, and a woman, a very thin woman with a very long neck, blonde hair and big front teeth. The man was carrying a modest number of suitcases in his bug, chubby hands, while the woman was carrying a purse with a hand and pulling a slightly overweight, blond haired and blue eyed child with the other._

" _Don't say 'sorry, dear'" shrilled the woman "I won't let_ _ **my**_ _child let be corrupted by those words! We already have 'that one' with us now, I will not let you ruin this holyday that your bosses have given us!"_

" _Unfortunately the freak is with us" and they both turned their head behind them._

 _The first thing one would have noticed of the child behind them was that she was tiny for her age, very tiny, not even tall to the waist of the woman, with her sweater's cuffes going to the point of the digits of her small hands; the second thing would have been her long, raven, hair, which reflected the airport's lights even now that they were unkept; the third would have been her green eyes, which would have rooted you in your place if she would have looked at you and not at the ground._

 _The man turned again forward and said harshly:_

" _Move, girl! We have the cab to get"_

" _... Yes, uncle Vernon" was the answer, said with a voice so soft that it was incredible that it was heard._

 _The little girl, who was dragging her meager, old bag, was Iris Lucretia Potter, heiress to the most noble and ancient house Potter, the Girl-who-lived._

 _And they were in Fuyuki city, at the eve of the War which would have changed everything._

 _ **Uhm. Didn't expect this, did you? Rewiew this chapter, and please forgive my (very) likely grammar's error and follow my first story!**_

 _ **Manram.**_


	4. Chapter 2: The spar

_**Salve bella gente!**_

 _ **Are you well? If you are well, well good, if you are unwell, well, this chapter will do everything to make you feel well again, well, what do you say?**_

 _ **Without other waiting, lets start with this chapter!**_

 _Kiritsugu's POV, one hour after the battle, Illyasviel's room, Einzbern castle_

"Weeee! Faster, faster!"

"I would have never thought that my power would be used to make a little child happy. Really".

"Look, Kiritsugu, I'm flying!"

"Little children, sorry for the mistake".

Kiritsugu, Saber and Sella were looking expressionless, seated around the table of the room, the matriarch and the first daughter of the Magus Killer, while they were lifted from the floor and flown around the room one meter and half above the mentioned floor by Avenger.

When Irisviel said that her Servant and their daughter was under attack of 'Vornskrs', creatures he didn't hear about anywhere, he immedietly rushed to get his weapons and jumped out of the window, carried by his Servant who was again in her combat attire.

After all it was much harder to protect someone while fighting than fighting alone, so it was very much important to give him help as soon as possible, which was in only ninety seconds for them, followed by Leysritt who was carrying Sella and Irisviel as reinforcement just in case.

Nothing would touch a member of their family and go unpunished.

But when they arrived they didn't find some unidentified creature, but about twenty Wargs, dark creatures of high danger used by the last rising Dark Lord Voldemort, old enough and in enough number which would be needed a platoon of Enforcers or twenty pairs of Aurors to subdue and kill, with sure casualties in the humans side.

And they were all dead. In under ninety seconds, Avenger had killed, while protecting a bystander and alone, an entire pack of wargs.

Now he understood the true power of a Servant, and above all the true power of Avenger, very much above the one he had seen with his Sight.

But this only opened another can, much bigger: why is he hiding his power? How is he doing it? Maybe through the use of his Noble Phantasm, but then who was he before his death?

Too many questions and not nearly enough answers for them.

' _Who are you, Avenger?'_ he wonder to himself, his face emotionless and his eyes clouded while he was reanalysing the aftermath of the slaughter.

Because Avenger slaughtered those wargs, using at least four different methods if what Illya said and he had read the proofs well.

Some of the wargs were killed by organs breakdown, caused by the bones going through said organs, making their death quick but painful.

Those deaths were caused by some type of impact, maybe caused by a wind Mystery or by a blast wave, if what Sella said seeing them is true, a pretty powerful one if the damages done both to the wargs and to the trees around is an indication.

Others were literelly _fried_ , the corpses showing signs of violent spasms at the moment of the death, while the flesh in the points of impact was charred, wich directed the cause, coupled by the testimony of his daughter, to a Lighting Mystery made from Avenger.

Lets remember that wargs are resistant to magic.

It was enough to make Sella green, while Avenger was making float above the ground three member of the household.

Yes, three, because Leysritt had asked if she could get into the 'experiment', and Avenger accepted.

Strangely he had asked that Sella taught him a bit of magecraft, despite having too little time to learn it, and, while Sella was a bit puzzled by this, she accepted.

Grudgingly, but she accepted.

Then there were the _other_ wargs, which deaths were even more strange: all but one were killed by what seemed an overheated sword if what Saber said was right.

Maybe the sword Irisviel saw in her dream became a Noble Phantasm? The wounds she described were similar.

Then there was one, which died with its neck snapped with one hand, as his daughter and the bruises on the neck said, using a strenght _much_ higher than the one he saw, confirming the reading Irisviel gave him the day before.

And now his Servant was staring Avenger like an eagle, waiting for...:

"Avenger, after your lesson about magic with lady Sella, I want to spar with you, and I will not be denied, clear?"

...Asking a spar against Avenger? Well, it would be useful to assess his abilities and weaknesses, just in case.

Then Avenger bowed excessivly and said with a mockingly subservient voice:

"As you order, queenie. What shall be the hour of hour match, if a may ask?"

Saber growled at the barbs done by the Servant, her ahoge tensing toward the end, and answered with an annoyed tone, her hands clenched tight:

"The seventh hour after the zenith shall be the hour when we shall show our abilities".

Galen smirked at this, still bowed, and said with the same tone as before:

"It shall be done, queenie".

...

...

It should be noted that the children behind Avenger were still squelling while floating around, not noticing what was happening in front of them.

Kiritsugu sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation at the scene in front of him.

This war was prospecting more tiring than before every minute which passed.

 _Galen's POV, one and half hour later, Illyasviel's workshop and room_

"So you are saying that mixing the internal power, or 'Od', which is inside of us, and the external, which is around us and is named 'Mana', using these 'Magic Circuits', you produce 'Prana' and you can use it to do 'Mysteries', right?"

"Yes, Onii-chan! Good!" said the Little Sprite, patting his head with a smile using her height advantage for being sat on a chair while he was sat cross-legged on the ground.

Galen let her do it, under the glare of Frosty and the seemengly emotionless gaze of Blunty, while he mentally archived the new informations.

' _So these 'Magic Circutuits' are like the Midi-chlorian? But then where are the Jedi and the Sith in all of this?'_

He looked at the people around, who were all the people who he bothered to make a nickname for, all for reasons which were after all justified:

The Little Sprite was there for her lesson, which was given to him, and was now teaching him, sat on one of the three chairs in the room;

Frosty was behind her, sat on another of the chair, looking at the Little Sprite with a small, proud smile on her lips, her back straight with her hands on her lap;

Blunty was on her stomach on Little Sprite's bed, still emotionless, and had White Lady at her side, who was giggling at the scene in front of her;

The Grim Lord was looking from the third chair, his face seemengly emotionless, but Galen could feel the emotions lurking under the surface, and see the little twitches in his face and above all the small turning up of his lips;

And then there was Queenie...:

"Do you not know these basic information, Avenger? Should you not have been given these by the Holy Grail?" she asked, her eyes and voice sharp, sat on the last chair, which was the furthest from him, her head leaned on her closed fists.

Galen tilted his head, and said, cal,:

"I don't know it, and it's interesting to know for me. It's an other way to use the Force, after all".

Queenie turned her head an muttered something similar to 'damned mages', but then she returned silent.

Galen then felt a pull at his sleeve, and turning he found the curious gaze of the Little Sprite, who asked with her innocent, childlike tone:

"Why do you call Magecraft 'force', Onii-chan? You don't need to lift it, so why you call it like this?"

He looked at her, then remembered that they called the Force differently and answered:

"I think that you call it 'Akasha', but I'm much more used to call it 'Force', with the capital 'F'"

"But why call it 'Force', then, and not simple magic, Avenger?" asked the White Lady, tilting her head curious.

Galen, a bit happy about talking of a so much important part of him without being the daft in the conversation, being always the younger one, got up and started walking around, followed by the gazes of the people in the room, while describing the Force, the excitement tinting his voice:

"Why do I call it the 'Force', you ask? Because it's what bind everything to everything, everywhere to everywhere, everyone to everyone! When I connect with it it's like a part of me is rejoined! It's one..."

"Wait, you said that you enter in it?" exclaimed Frosty, her red eyes gaining a _very_ strange glint and her lips morphing into a _very_ creepy smile which made Galen feel _very_ unconfortable.

 _Very much so_.

But he shook his head and said:

"Not _enter_ , _connect_. Every time I use the Force I _connect_ with it, I don't become one with it".

"Oh" said Frosty, deflating slightly, her mood becoming quicly downcast for reasons unknown to him.

But, much to his future chagrin, he continued:

"I _try to become_ one with the Force when I meditate using the Light-"

Then he was tackled on his back by a Frosty-formed ball, who now was towering him on his pelvis, a block notes in one hand, a pen in another and her scary smile back on her lips at full force, the glint now noticeable with the greed behind it, which intensity made Galen much more scared than before.

The barrage of questions he didn't expect, though:  
"How do you do you become one with it?" "Well, it-" "How does it feel?" "I feel-" "There are other people able to do it, and if yes how much of them?" "Wait a-" "Can you describe them?" "They were-" "How much powerful were th-HMPHH!?" Galen's hand stopped her barrage, making her look indignant at him, which effect was slightly ruined by the snickers in background.

Galen raised a brow at her, and asked, amused, his smirk placed on his lips:

"If you wait I will answer those questions, okay? Now could you please get up, even if our position now is greatly enjoyable for me, it's a bit daring when we only knew each other for one day" then he winked at her, even mimicking guns with his fingers and 'firing' with them with a 'click click'.

Frosty at first didn't get it, even when the White Lady, who was the one snickering in the background, pressed her head on the bed, trying to muffle her laughs as best as possible, then Frosty looked down slowly, then equally slowly she looked back up again, then again down.

A blush appeared sudden on her face, making it redder than her eyes, and she quickly got up with a acute 'Sorry!' and bolting to her seat, her face still red, probably down to her covered neck.

Still smirking Galen sat straight, his eyes closed to not let tears of mirth out, until felt someone tapping on his shoulder, and when he turned he found the armoured, grave visage of Queenie, her green eyes trying to make him repent for his action.

He tilted his head questiongly, making the people in the room know that the attempt went without reaching his objective, and the tiny swordwoman pointed behind him, where the Little Sprite was looking at the scene confused.

"Oh. Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said it. I really ought to control my tongue, sometimes." he said, figuring out his error, and waited for the uncoming hit.

Which mad it rather dissapointing when it was only a light hit on the scalp, not even enough to make him yelp in pain.

He looked at her with a raised brow, silently asking 'Really?', but she now had her back towards him and was walking towards her seat, not even having the kindness to wait for a rebut.

How uncivilized.

Then two, distinct coughs made him turn towards the two red-eyed girls sat on their chairs, both sporting the same serious expression, mirroring each other in every way, from how they were holding their pens, to their posture, to how their stares were _drilling inside his head_.

Which was rather silly in the Little Sprite's case, but not less creepy.

Galen sighed and, rubbing the back of his head he organized his thoughts and then, clapping his hands together and rubbing them like a vendor of the flea market and, with his smirk in place, he said, using his most outskirt tone:

"So, say your question and I will answer in exchange with my own!"

Two 'clicks' were heard, which made known that the pens were now open, and Sella made the first question:

"There were groups in your time which were able to use Magecr- 'the Force'?"

Galen waited for some moments to answer, his eyes closed, and then he said, his face so emotionless and his voice so serious that he nearly didn't seem himself:

"I know that there were tens of cults about the Force" the Felucians were one of those he actively fought against:"But the biggest were surely the Jedi and the Sith, which were polar opposite to each other and from what I know they fought against each other, the Jedi fighting for peace and freedom, the Sith for supremacy and power, The Jedi using the Light Side of the Force, following its will, while the Sith used the Dark Side, bending it for their purposes".

Galen opened his eyes, and saw the puzzled faces of the two whom he was talking to, which added to the confusion of the people around him made him aware of one thing.

Which was soon confirmed by the Little Sprite, who asked innocently:

"Ne, ne, Onii-chan, what are the Dark and the Light sides? I've never heard about them before, could you please talk about them?"

Galen's face, which before was impassive, became again his grinning face, and he said with a teasing tone:

"Wait, wait, Little Sprite! Shouldn't I make a question first?"

Little Sprite's cheeks blew like those of a chipmunk, while a sound not unlike the one made by a kettle was heard in the background while her cheeks became as red as her eyes.

It was a pretty funny sight, if he could say.

Not funnier than a drunk Kota throwing up his entire lunch on his bed, but funny nonetheless.

He then turned towards Frosty and asked, direct:  
"Could you teach some of your Mysteries?"

It could sound strange to you that he asked that question, and not another questions more similar to the one made by the maid.

The people in the room were certainly confused by the question.

But you have to think that Galen didn't think that the War would last more than two weeks, and even then he already knew enough about Magi.

They were much, _much_ less powerful than a trained Force sensitive.

It was like comparing a mynock and that Bull Rancor.

Or a stormtrooper and him.

So much was the difference.

And Galen didn't need to know much more, and even then he could ask to his 'Master' informations.

What Galen would need to know, and _wanted_ to know, were other ways to use the Force, in supportive, not always lethal ways.

Even if he would have been reunited with the Force, it would have been a proof to himself that he could be more than a weapon and a killer.

"...So if you answer to another five question I will show you the four basics mysteries of Magecraft, is that enough for you?" finished Frosty, talking to an oblivious Galen.

Aaaand he didn't pay attention to what she had said.

Damn him and his treacherous mind!

"So if I answer to another five of your questions you will show me four pretty little 'mysteries'?" he chanced it, piecing together what he had heard and the context of the question.

Frosty became annoyed pretty quickly at the repetition, but she nodded.

Galen externally only smirked, trying to show that hed annoyed Frosty on purpose, but internally he was dancing for the chance of learning something new.

Striving to learn more and more was one of the few things that he shared with the normal Sith way, after all, and one of the things he disagreed about Jedi's one.

Galen, snapping out of his thoughts which were making him go off at a tangent, straighted his back and said with a small smile:

"Shoot your questions"

"What are the Light side and the Dark side for you?" asked Frosty, her pen on her notebook, ready to write every information Galen would give them, action mirrored by the Little Sprite and maybe, if he was hearing right, even the Grim Lord was preparing to note his answer, and lets add the other people in the room who were looking at him very curious.

Talk about performance anxiety.

But Galen didn't have enough shame or self-consciousness to really care about it, so he answered with his serious, calm tone:

"It's a... difficult question to answer. And if you can't feel the Force it's like describing colours to someone blind from birth" he stopped for a second, trying to find the best way to explain it, and thinking for a bit he found it and continued:"You could say that they are like the two sides of a coin, opposite but inseparable; one side, the Light, which is respected by the Jedi, is more difficult to learn and it's less aggressive than the Dark, but is _much_ more secure than the Dark to use and is less taxing to the user, in addition to being much more useful in supporting and civilian situations, while the Dark side, used by the Sith, is easier to learn and _is_ more powerful than the Light, but, other than being _useless_ in those situations I brought up, is very, _very_ dangerous".

There Galen stopped talking for two, pricipal reasons:

first, the subject was so much deep, and the arguments about it so much various that is impossible to describe it in _years_ , even less in hours;

second, he wasn't much an expert about theory; he was a monster in practice, able to grasp different uses of the Force to battlefield grade in _weeks_ when it would take _years_ to reach the same level, but in theory he wasn't that good.

It wasn't what Vader wanted him to do, because after all it would be much more useful a perfect _weapon_ than a good Sith both in theory and in practice.

The tutelage of Kota was enough to make him deepen his knowledge about the Force, but even then it wasn't his most pressing matters, like creating a Rebellion from scratch, preparing to fight the Emperor and understand his own feelings about those things.

Those little things of life, which wouldn't have an impact at all at the life in his galaxy. _At all_.

"So it's nothing more than a division between two styles of using the Force?" asked Frosty, making Galen rise his gaze towards her and out of his thoughts and a disgusted grimace from his face:

"No. Just no. The difference lie in how you use it and the effects it has to you. The Light side is all about self-control and not feeling attachments to the physical, going so far to even forbid love between one Jedi and other people, and try being one with the Force and let it control your actions, while the Dark is the opposite, using your emotions to enslave the Force and use its power for your own objectives, without caring about other people and using them as stepping stones for your gains, and risking greatly to become themselves slaves of the Dark side, which only desire is destroy and ravege everything, even the earth they walk upon" Galen voiced, his tone aggressive and his eyes staring hard at the woman, making her feel like a prey before a monster.

Galen, noticing the alarm in Frosty, turned his gaze toward the floor ashamed and apologized:

"Sorry, is that it's a sore subject for me, and when you said that is 'only a division' it was a bit... angering for me".

The people in the room but Blunty and the Little Sprite were looking at him with wide eyes and jaws dropped, looking at the oddity which was Galen apologizing, after being only showed his _very_ irking personality.

Blunty wasn't so much surprised after witnessing his more sombre side only the day before (and for the little fact of being unable to show much emotions at all), and, well the Little Sprite...

Was like she was having an overdose of sugar, being too much busy bounching on her seat, her little hand raised high, her white hair waving wildly with every bounce and squeeing cheerful.

The White Lady, probably trying to dispell that air of awkardness, asked with a slightly amused voice:

"What's the matter, sweetie? DId you eat too much sweets this morning?"

You know, it could be it. After all the Little Sprite _had_ eaten the better part of the cake they took this morning and, while it had passed a bit too much time, she was a kid.

Yeah, it could.

But it wasn't:

"Nu-uh" the Little Sprite shook her head, and then her big, red eyes bored into Galen's brown ones and asked innocently:"Onii-chan, who are the Jedi and the Sith?"

Bless the curiosity of this child and its abiltity of dispelling the awkardness of the room.

Galen smiled at the curiosity of the little girl, while the subject was an heavy one for him, and, still sat cross-legged, he answered:

"Well, it's sort of long, but I will try to keep it as detailed as I can. The Jedi we-are one of the most ancient order of Force users, being around five or six thousands years old-" a series of dry spit-take around him made known the unbelievableness of his statement, but he continued without calculating them:"-and since its fundation, the Jedi Order fought for peace and justice, using the Light side of the Force, their lightsaber and diplomacy to protect the people against those who would desire to predate upon them, prefering to use peaceful methods but able to fight if they have to. They are selfless to a fault, ready to die for people who they don't know and for a cause so much bigger than them, forbidden from having any physical attachment to anything or even feeling too much emotions, because 'it would surely lead to the Dark side'".

The last part was said with a not small part of sarcasm, which was understandable in Galen's part.

After all he was the result of a love between two Jedi, Kento Nion **(Look at the AN at for this, please)** and Mallie Marek, who for this love were banished from the Jedi order _during_ the Clone wars; he himself was saved by the love of one woman, who became the only thing which didn't made and make him fall to the Dark side completely.

It was madness even _thinking_ to forbid to mortal beings to not feel, and the Jedi made so for thousands of years, punishing whoever did this and went against the tradition, like Revan or the Exile made in their time or his parents did.

"The Sith instead" he continued, his thought not stopping him for more than a moment for the other people in the room:" were ruthless conquerors, skillful warriors and expert politicians, masters in the art of killing. The most infamous warriors came from the Sith, feared both for their abilities with the lightsaber, their cunnings and their powers with the Dark side of the Force, which are _always_ malevolent in nature. The Sith always strive for power, most for the power itself but sometimes to reach a goal, be it the death of their master or the supremacy over people, and use their emotions, usually anger, to control the Force and reach them, usually falling completely in the Dark side and letting themself be devoured by their own instincts, both internally and externally, which usually is seen by the body itself changing, and their mentality make them _extremely_ tempted to betray the other Sith, nearly to extinction for more than a time".

Galen was one of the few exceptions to the rule, being not completely in the Dark side, but sometimes it happened when he was in a pressing situation that he temporaly felt the corruption of it more strongly, but he never went to the deep end, using his own positive feelings as a safe line.

"There aren't much similarities between these two orders, which have always been one against the other since they discovered each other, but their use of the Force, the being based upon codes, and the fact that both use _this_ ".

And he summoned his lightsaber, the hilt glinting with the pale light of the cold, cloudy day, and made it suspend using the Force at an height which would have been seen, and, with another touch with the Force, he activated it, the cobalt blue light coming out almost immedietly, and making the three most childish people in the room awing upon it.

*Click* *FSSSHHHH* "Ooohh!"

"This is a lightsaber, the weapon which is almost always used by both the Jedi and the Sith. They may both use different colors, blue and green for the Jedi and red for the Sith, it may be used in different ways, like built as a lance or with two blades, but it has been the weapon for both the orders for thousands of years, an extension of the Jedi or the Sith who wield it; deadly and able to cut near everything the wielder attacked".

Then Galen deactivated it, earning some displeased noise from the same three people and making him smirk upon hearing them:

"With the use of this and the Force, both Jedi and Sith, but more the Sith, were both feared and respected inside the battlefield, both as warriors and as generals".

' _When they were taught how to lead'_ he added sourly in his mind, knowing how well the first year of the Clone wars went for the Repubblic, with more Jedi killed in that year alone than the other years together, without counting the order 66.

Those were and are the most grim years of the Jedi order by far.

"Now we are at four. Another two questions and you will have to teach me those three mysteries!" he covered his thoughts with his teasing, which worked faboulously.

Maybe it worked a bit too far at Frosty's case.

He didn't think it was normal to try to eat your own fist while making strange, high-pitched noises, with her cheeks becoming redder than her eyes once again in anger.

Then a hand raised from the bed, owned by the White Lady, who was looking at him with a confused expression, whici made him turn towards his 'Master', who asked innocently:  
"How do you use the 'Force' if you don't have Magic circuits?"

It really was a question which was important, and Galen now was wondering why it wasn't made before.

And it was important even to the other people, if the immediate return to seriousness of Frosty and the fact that, even in their now filled notebooks, which now were filled for only about a quarter, they took other ones, and he could bet his lightsaber that the Grim Lord was taking another one himself.

The movement from behind him confirmed his thoughts.

Galen sighed, and rubbing the back of his head, he tried to answer:

"Well...This is a very difficult question. There are some theories which try to answer to this, but I know in a bit depth only one and even then I think is not completely exact" he straighted his back himself and continued:

"The most accepted theory is that every being has a certain amount of unicellular beings inside his cells called _midi-chlorians_ , and these little fellas make possible to connect yourself with the Force, not so much different from your circuits in that aspect. The more you have inside every cell, the more you can use the Force in simple terms. But this theory is busted by the fact that I myself was able to use the Force in way which should have been impossible for my training, without counting that I have seen things which would have been impossible with only the existence of midi-chlorians which, while they exist, I don't think they are how the Force work. I'm sorry if it seems not much, but during my training it never was my objective ot understand the most inner working of the Force, but how harness it".

He really wasn't that much of an expert of theory, but it was interesting to talk about it, even liberating, but it didn't lessen the fact that he was very young as both Jedi and Sith go.

A very powerful youngling, but young nonetheless, and it could be seen at his lack of knowledge.

"Don't worry, Onii-chan, you can't be a super Jedi without some faults!" exclaimed the Little Sprite, raising her tiny arm above her in a fist.

Unconsciusily Galen said:

 _"I'm not a... exactly... a Jedi"_

The room stilled for the umpteenth time.

It really was amusing, if you weren't the one inside it.

If he really thought about it, Galen wasn't a Jedi; after all, only the day before he had killed that man in cold blood, even if he threatened to do something unspeakable to his 'Master'.

The Grim Lord was the first one to talk in a calm tone, which didn't betray the tension inside himself:

"So you were a Sith which betrayed his side?"

One could become deaf from the silent the question made, and Galen was one second to shout at the man for confusing him for one of them, but the not so little fact that the man in question didn't know anything about him made him stop, and consider the fact objectively:

' _Why should he-ah, the Grail system'_ thought Galen, his doubts and annoyances immedietly extinguished like stepped cinders when he considered it.

After all only 'heroes' could be summoned by the Grail, so it wasn't so far off the mark to think that he fought against his fellow Sith.

By the Force, it was even exact to an extent!

But not completely right.

He got up and turned toward the Grim Lord, under the watchful gaze of Queenie who was ready to attack him (again), and he asked, his smirk still in place:

"You are a bit nearer, but you are still off. Do you want a third chance or would you like me to answer?"

The Grim Lord only raised a brow and waited.

Galen smirked a bit more and said with an amused tone:

"You know, you are a mean person, all right. Alas, it's a bit from column A and a bit more from column B the answer, my friend"

His smile became gentler when he turned towards the light coming from a big window outside and as he talked he opened his arms wide, his voice proud:

 _"I chose to become a Jedi who used even the Dark side to protect what is dear to him and then the others, not only the others and absolutely not for my own 'purposes' but to protect my friends and family"_

He turned towards the people inside, his smile still serene and his eyes now calm:

"So" he said "Was it satisfactory?"

The Grim Lord nodded slowly and said outwardly calmly:"Yes, it was, thank you Avenger. Now I will leave Sella teach you, while Irisviel and I are going to rest for a bit" and, said that, he and Irisviel got up, the latter skipping a bit for reasons Galen could understand, which made him exclaim with a smirk and a wink:

"Righto! Have a good rest!" and he waved at them, action mirrored by The White Lady when they went out, closing the door without too much noise.

Another noise of chair scraping on the floor, and steps much more ligher made their way towards him, with the tiny visage of the swordwoman _succeeding_ to be magnetic for Galen's senses, thanks to her green eyes now drilling through his when he turned and, after a moment, she said in a frosty tone:

"Don't be late" Galen didn't drop his smirk and said jovially:

"I will be there to kick your a-bottom, queenie!" he corrected immedietly due the presence of The Little Sprite in the room.

Queenie umphed at him, and walked out of the room, her armor clanging with every step, then slamming the door shut, making the room vibrate.

Galen looked a bit amused at the cracks around the door, which were now slowly repairing themselves shut, until he heard a cough which made him turn towards Frosty, who was now wearing a smile which should have been threatening, but fell short in the case of Galen for obvious reasons, and said with a tone which could only be described as elegant:

"Now we shall start your first contact upon the noble art of Thaumaturgy, art which will be gifted upon you thanks to your services for the Einzbern and the Emiya family" she glanced to the Little Sprite, but otherwise didn't show any other signs of distraction and immidietly continued:"You probably will not learn anything, but if this is your desire then so be it" she ended, without expecting success at learning those 'mysteries'.

Galen smirked a bit more; it would be amusing to show how much he could learn.

 _Kiritsugu POV; night; Emiya's room;_

 _"He is a monster"_

Kiritsugu looked up from his dossier and glanced at his depressed maid Sella, who was without cap and had her voice muffled by the fact that she had propped herself on her arms.

Then he returned to red the dossier with the new informations like nothing happened.

"He is a freaking monster" Sella moaned again, this time with Leysritt patting her shoulder trying to show her support.

Key word _trying_.

"How can he be such a monster?" she asked herself again, not paying attention at her sister trying to help her through her emotional pain.

His wife, smiling uneasily, asked:

"It couldn't be that bad, right imouto?".

It would have been much better is she didn't say anything, they would have thought afterwards.

Sella didn't say anything for a moment, than a laughter which could only be called hysterical, which made Kiritsugu lift the dossier to hide himself from her.

The last time it happened was because he had tried to cook.

He didn't want to bear witness of it again, even if he loved Iri dearly.

He was that much afraid of that face, yes.

His fingertips started to feel hotter, sign that his maid was unconsciously starting to activate her circuits, while her white hair started whipping above the limit of the dossier, which made Kiritsugu raise the even more.

She was _scary_. Not as scary as Iri when she used her dark expression, maybe, but she was lessening the gap.

Then a dead tone came out, which made even Kiritsugu tremble a bit:

"Onee-sama, do you know how much it took to me to learn those three, blasted mysteries which no one cares about?"

Iri, who was whiter than before if possible with her albino complexion, shook her head slowly, looking at her little sister who was having a small breakdown:

"It took me in total one month, since the first two hours I was born I had to understand them. I learned them with the other subjects, it's true, but I spent _at least_ sixty hours on them until I deemed that I knew enough and I concentrated on the other mysteries, but I continued to dust them every now and then. It didn't even took a lot, thanks to how I was ingeneered, and it would take _two hundred_ of hours to a normal Magus to reach a quarter my preparation".

Here she stopped, and Kiritsugu could hear the alarming cracks coming from the table, but he remained outwardly calm.

Inwardly now was regretting asking his maid the outcome of the lesson.

"You know how much it took to him to reach that quarter?" she said, her tone more subsued than before, but not less disturbing.

She inhaled deeply and, with the softest tone he ever heard her use, she said:

" _Six hours_ ".

Kiritsugu heard it, but he wasn't sure if he missheard or not.

After all his own by-product of reinforcement took hundreds of hours of tutelage under Natalia to be ready for battle.

"It took him only six hours to reach a quarter of my peak, and then he exceeded that point with _Structural analisys_ , saying that it would have been useful for the War and that he didn't know a variant with this 'Force' of that, while he said that _Reinforcement_ looked enough like a tecnique he used that it took only ten minutes to show that. And I am sure he reached that peak without using his 'Force' to do it, and that what he was doing was Magecraft. And you remember how many pencils I broke and how many cuts I made to my hands using Alteration? He cut himself only one time, analyzing a knife for the first time which he made slip from his hand and cutted his finger, and I certainly I didn't have sweet ojou-sama who sucked it saying 'pain pain go away'!"

She was rambling.

Oh, if she was rambling but what she was saying was extremely unsettling.

Like everything his wife had more than an hour on working, be it cooking (which was nearly as bad as his), politicking (even if the blonde wizard lord should have expected it) or shooting (he still had the scar).

And she was a freaking magical battery, able to produce thousands of units of Prana.

So would have been strange if even her Servant would have been a crazy power house, who was apperently able to, in order: have a lot of class abilities, an absorption mystery which sucked Magic Circuits, physical abilities bordering to god-hood, other mysteries never seen before, a weapon which would probably come from the future with said Servant coming from said future?

No, it wouldn't.

But it opened a giant can of worms, where all his questions about Avenger went, from his connection with the 'Dark side', which was awfully similar in his description with the Wizards'dark magic, to exactly _who_ was Avenger in his future death.

"Now milord, milady, I am going to need to sleep" said Sella, now completely drained after her tirade, got up and started walking, passing over her usual platitudes and walking quickly to the door and opened it, then, turning again towards the people in the room, she said, bowing slightly:

"Have a good night" then went out of the room, without waiting the reply.

The other three people in the were looking at the spot, then his wife turned towards Leysritt and asked without missing a beat:

"Could you please watch Sella-imouto tonight, Leysritt-imouto? I don't think being near Avenger and Illya at the same time was good to her mental health for today".

' _Like you can talk'_ thought Kiritsugu, well aware of how much his wife was... lets say 'abnormal' even in Magus terms.

A good kind of crazy, but crazy nonetheless.

Leysritt got up herself, and with her typical tone she said, bowing:

"Ah. It will be done, Onee-sama" and she departed from the room, leaving the two Masters.

Kiritsugu slumped against his chair, and started rubbing his eyes tiredly, and wondered:

"How can one man make so much trouble, even if he is a Servant?" His wife giggled at this and replied excited, with stars in her eyes:

"Come on, Kiritsugu, it's not that bad! I've never seen my little sister so much surprised by a student since forever! Didn't you see it?"

Kiritsugu turned towards her and raised a brow, asking the silent question of 'Really?'.

Irisviel tilted her head and, with question marks magically (yes, magically) appearing around her head, she asked cutely:"What?"

Kiritsugu shook his head and snorted, his 'grim' shell, as Avenger called it, fading a bit in front of the sheer cuteness of his wife.

Who was now pouting at him, her voice browned off:"What?"

' _She looks like a wet kitten'_ thought Kiritsugu, who was now chuckling under his breath.

"Meanie, answer to your sins!" cried Irisviel, starting to waving her arms and hitting him and making a growling sound.

Using the force of said wet kitten, using a similar tone, which made Kiritsugu laugh instead of chuckle while he 'tried' to protect his body, with the word 'tried' here meaning letting her hit him.

In the duration of that one minute Irisviel's cries became laughter, her indignant expression became radiant with joy, and her hands, which before were trying to hit him, were now holding him in a tight hug after jumping on him, which was reciprocated by him who was laughing openly.

It was a picture so joyous that would have made even the most hardned assassing smile, and whoever artist who draw the day before would be delighted to paint again these two people, who were now nearing each other for one kiss.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't last.

Because Fate was a cruel, nigh invincible and petulant bitch, who loved to test bonds and try to shatter them.

*CRASH*

Along with that window.

*CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!FSHHHHHH*

"Thys style is open, Rascal!"

"If you are disturbed by my openess than I should remind you of your char-"

"Get here!"

*CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!CLANG!*

The couple looked at the now shattered window, which made the chilly air of December enter inside, while hearing the sounds of battling outside, under the pale light of the half covered moon.

Irisviel, without turning towards Kiritsugu, asked:

"Is this sensation...deja-vu, Kiritsugu?"

"Yes, it is" answered him, a bit exasperated by being stopped by the two Servants again.

 _Galen's POV; twenty minutes before; somewhere in Einzbern castle's_

' _Mohogany table made around four hundred years ago, by a Magus named Richard Jameson who was specialized in...making plants grow directly as furniture? Neat. The table has severaln enchantments in it, as follows: mild restance against fire, resistance against impact, low resistance against curses and...self cleaning? Very useful. Lets anylize another object!'_

And whistling Galen made so, while chewing on a cherry lollipop which was given by The Little Sprite, after he cut himself with that _blasted_ knife.

He really didn't expect this _'Structural analysis'_ to be so simple to get, even though the process to use it was very similar to another Force tecnique which he tried to get the handle since he started his training both as a Sith and as a Jedi.

Being visions. Which he sucked at and could only get clues for something he was searching, like the books the day before, and even then he knew where to search, or events a few seconds from happening.

Or he got them randomly. Like the one of that morning, which he forgot to talk about to the others.

 _Sith spit, him and his fucking clumsiness_.

He started cursing in a range of languages, from mandalorian to huttese, at his own clumsiness which reappeared every time when he didn't need it.

Like the first time he saw Juno. Or when he said the planet where he killed Shaak Ti _right in the face_ of Kota. Or when he couldn't understand his own feelings until the very end.

Or when he made slip a _sharp knife_ right on his index, which was then nursed by a Little Sprite with one of the cutest way he would ever witness.

Maybe when he rejoined with Juno he could try to make her do it?

The mental image of _Juno_ , the calm and collected woman, kissing his bleeding finger and saying 'pain, pain, go away!' with a cute tone made him both laugh and blush.

' _Naaa, she wouldn't do it even if she threatened to. Troublesome woman'_ he thought with a smile, which returned a thin line and then a grimace when he remembered the fact that he _forgot to talk about the fucking vision!_

Who was this Gilgamesh? He could search it in the library but it would seem that he was withholding important informations if he was discovered, and Frosty would have probably fried his ass when she discovered him there _again_ , but he couldn't even barge inside their bedroom without caring about what they were doing.

He knew what they could be doing there, and he didn't want to know about it, and it probably would have been the last time it would have been possible for them to do it without the pression of the War upon them.

Sighing, he returned to scan objects, this time a:

' _chandelierre made in gold and crystals, created somewhere in Genoa_ (wherever it was) _around two-hundred and forty years ago as an apology for having lost the First Grail War. It wasn't enough, given the lack of enchantments it was given or only the position in one of the most disused hallways in the castle'._

Galen rubbed his temple looking at the expensive furniture and frowned, murmuring to himself :

"Why can't I get as much informations about the object like for that knife or I get so much informations about the _enchantments_ and not about their metods of fabrication?"

After all it was the reason which made him cut himself with that _blasted_ knife, after all: the sudden influx of informations about it.

From the _exact date of creation to the minute_ to _how it was made_ to _how to use it_.

Galen was sure that if he really got into it he could replicate the object and master how it was used (even if it was only used as a bistury and nothing more), even if he wasn't a blacksmith nor a master with knives, only thanks to this 'mystery', which was very handy in theory to gain knowledge to how use a particular object.

But what made this 'mystery' particurally useful was the fact that it let him know _who_ had used the object.

While he was starting to 'produce prana' with his stolen 'Magic Circuits' to resume the training for this tecnique, he bumped against a _very much tiny_ blond person, action which made him feel a mild irritation in his arm as the Force within his 'Circuits' left rather abruptly.

Nothing too serious, the stinging done when his Force Lighting backfired at the start of his training were much, _much_ worse.

He looked down after a few moments to see a pair of known green eyes which owner was using to glare at him, and said owner talked in an authoritarian voice:

"You are late". Galen only raised a brow and said surprised:

"Are you sure? I could have sworn that it wasn't already the time for our spar, and I couldn't find a clock around here".

Queenie only pointed behind him, where there was a pendulum clock ticking twenty minutes past seven.

Really.

Then, while Galen was trying to understand _how_ it was possible that the universe itself hated him so much, Queenie grabbed him by an arm and started dragging him through the halways towards an exit for the outside, all the while the Magi avoided them like the plague.

Or avoided Galen like the plague for his display the day before, tomayto tomahto.

When they (and with they, we intend she) found a door towards the outisde, they exited and were welcomed by the cold air of winter, which didn't disturb them, while the light of the moon was dimmed by the clouds.

Queenie finally let Galen go, and both with soft steps started to make a gap between them, with only the sharp cracking of the snow under their boots making noise in the night, accompanied by silent swish of the wind.

Galen was the first to talk, his words coming out along with little clouds of fume:

"So, what are the rules? The first to injure the opponent wins, or surrendering? Whichever you want".

"It's tradition that the challenged makes the rules of engagement, Avenger, but like I said I would like this being only a contest of our swordmanship and not of...cheap tricks, if it would be possible" replied Queenie calm, her gaze expression of this inner calmness while she stared at Galen.

Galen, while tapping his finger to his side while humming, thought the conditions and then said:

"Three wounds, not lethal. We can't use our abilities but those legated with my style, but you have to show your sword"

"Yes, it is acceptable" she replied, and, after summoning her 'invisible' weapon, and, closing her eyes in concentration, a gust of wind came from her sword which was revealed.

And what a sight it was.

It was like the Force was _singing,_ if it was possible, when that sword became visible; Galen already understood the rough shape and lenght of that sword thanks to the Force, but never he would have thought it was so much magnificent.

He didn't even _dare_ to Analyze it out of respect of the sword itself, fearing to taint it trying to know how it was created.

The sword itself was splendid in its own simplicity, the only thing which was unnatural in, other than the ethereal glow surrounding its blade, were the writing on the blade itself, which he couldn't fit to any civilazation he ever heard of.

Galen was speechless for the first time since Saber had encountered him and this fact amused her a little, showed by her lips curving a bit upward and her tone, lighter than before, when she said:

"If you could show your weapon as well, Avenger".

This snapped Galen out of his wonderings, and made him summon in a show of light's particles his lightsaber, which blue light when ignated illuminated the night while Galen took his unorthodox stance.

Unorthodoxy which was recognized by Saber, who said:

"I've never seen in my life a stance like yours, Avenger. It will be interesting to face you in this mock battle"

"Yeah, it will be a lot of fun" replied Galen, his smirk becoming a tad more bloodthirsty than before, while his gaze became sharper and sharper every second while he observed her stance.

It was very similar to the Shi-cho, very versatile but with no great strenght other than its versatility.

Unluckily he couldn't only rely on the knowledge of the styles he knew for the simple reason that there was no Jedi order nor Sith order on this planet, so it would be completely moronic to base his tactic upon it.

But it was possible that her style of fighting was similar to the Shi-cho.

So, with this possible information cataloged, he tried and succeeded to summon another one of his gadgets, his wrist computer, and said with a calm voice, in open contrast with his still bloodthirsty smirk:

"Computer, activate timer: duration five sentences"

*Timer activated: five*

"Interesting trinket you have there, Avenger"

*four*

"You like it? It's very handy"

*three*

"Alas, you will not have the time to talk about it when I will win"

*two*

"Why don't we spice the things up a bit? The one who wins can ask the other one thing, and the loser will have to do it!"

*one*

"...Why not? You were so gratious to follow my desire, after all. I accept"

 _*zero*_

Exactly when the 'o' was said, both warriors charged towards the middle, so much quick that a spectator would have trouble to know that they moved if not hearing their quick steps on the snow.

When they were going to clash, Saber planted her foot and used the momentum to do a twirl, which would have made her attack much more powerful.

But Galen was used to such tactics by the fights agains PROXY, which closely resembled the Ataru, and dashed to the right, preparing to strike her when her own movement became her weakness.

Luckily for her, when she noticed her own mistake and that Galen was going to do the first blood, she planted her leg and used it to jump away from the reach of Galen's lightsaber, avoiding it.

But Galen was already upon her with his lightsaber ready to strike, and she had only the time to rise her weapon to block when he descended upon her, and when they collided

*CRASH*

The shockwave caused by the collision of the two weapons was enough to obliterate the snow thirty feet around them, and to dig a crater five feet deep.

And to destroy all the windows in that front of the castle.

Poor homunculi.

But it didn't matter to the two, too lost in the fire of the battle and the sheer enjoyment they found in it.

*CLANG*

Galen continued to attack, but was immedietly alted by Saber, who countered;

*CLANG*

It was readily alted by Galen, which used the opening to slash accross her, trying to take again the first blood;

*CLANG*

Saber batted the saber aside and tried to pierce him with the tip of the sword;

*CLANG*

Galen deflected it from his body, and used the lenght of its blade to slide his saber towards the unprotected Saber;

*CLANG*

Saber, noticing the danger, twirled around and countered the attack directly, starting a contrast with Galen;

*FSHHHH*

"Thy style is open, Rascal!" exclaimed Saber with a calm, which was utterly betrayed by her smirk, as much as bloodthirsty as Galen's.

Galen, without missing a beat, retorted with the same calm tone:"If you are disturbed by my openess than I should remind you of your char-"

He was interrupted by Saber who, with a strange glint in her eyes and her smirk widening, cried excited:"Get here!"

That outburst was enough to surprise Galen and, using this little distraction, Saber was able to break the contact in her favor and reignite the fight again from the short stalemate.

*CLANG*

Saber was able to take the initiative;

*CLANG*

Which helped her to take briefly the lead in the exchanges;

*CLANG*

But ultimately;

*CLANG*

Galen's more fast then her;

*CLANG*

And his style is created to kill masters of the saber;

*FSZOOOM* "Hsss!"

So it wasn't that strange when he was able to break her guard and take the first blood.

Galen retreated and looked satisfied the burned scratch he did on Saber's arm, which was quickly healing, and said:

"It seems that I took the first blood. Second round?"

Saber only glanced at her superficial wound, and nodded, her smile still in place.

They retook their starting stances, and again they charged at each other.

Galen was a bit miffed when Saber twirled again, but he again sidestepped, this time to the left.

Then Saber shouted, her voice strong:

" **Strike air: Hammer of the Wind God!** "

And the next moment Saber was behind him, the point of her stainless blade stained by Galen's blood, which dripped on the snow, reddening it.

Galen fingered the scratch on his side, amazed by the use Saber found for that tecnique, which was used as a mean to turn and exploit his aggressive stance, open to counters.

It was impressive, and it would have led to his demise in a real fight.

It made his blood pump even more in his veins, while Saber swinged her sword to clean the few drops of blood still on it, turned, her smirk still in place, and asked:

"This bout is mine to claim, Avenger. Shall we start the third?"

Galen stopped touchin his light wound and retook his stance, making Saber notice his slash and, in a slightly concerened tone, asked:

"Avenger, are you well?"

Galen, a bit irritated, said in a calm tone, betrayed by the sudden tension his shoulders got and the way his eyes glared into Saber's ones, while flickering yellow for a moment:

"Do you think of me as a youngling, weak and covering in fear at the slighest threat?"

Saber, noticing how she wounded the fellow warrior's pride, was quickly to deny that:

"No! Is simply that you don't have ways to cure yourself in case of grave injuries, while I do, and I don't know if Master or Lady Irisviel know some kind of healing mysteries able to cure you".

Galen calmed down, understanding where she was coming from, and, his smirk returning, he said resolute:

"Hmmm, I will have to beat your little bottom to show you exactly how much you were wrong about it, won't I?"

Then he charged, his lightsaber ignited.

When he was a few feet from Saber, who was preperad to defend, he started the slash, which was going to be readily blocked by Saber's sword.

Then he deactivated his lightsaber, letting the sword pass through and imbalance Saber, who overstepped slightly.

 _It was enough_.

Galen reigited the lightsaber and scrathed Saber's cheek, making her hiss for the heat.

But she wasn't the only wounded:

"Sith spit! I shouldn't have done it!" shouted Galen, more irritated at himself than aching for the wound on his shoulder.

Saber turned again and curious she asked:

"What manner of tecnique was that?"

"That was _Tràkata_. You deactivate the lightsaber before hitting the other sword which is blocking and then reactivate it just before hitting. Very dangerous as you can see from the wound on the shoulder, and I've never tried it against another Force sensitive, or even a lightsaber user but my training droid".

Saber tilted her head and mulled over something, then she stopped and looked above them, towards the now broken windows of the castle, and, pointing her sword above him and smiling amused, she said:

"It seems we have some spectators who are supporting us silently"

Galen turned his head and what he saw made him sweatdrop: The Grim Lord was looking down interested, a cancer stick between his lips; his 'Master'...:

"Is she mouthing 'Go Avenger, Go Avenger, Go!' while shaking those feathery white things?" asked Galen, more than a bit confused by what the White Lady was doing.

"I think those are called 'ponpons', Avenger. Don't question me as to what is their use because I cannot answer that question, and yes, she is saying those words" answered Saber.

Then Galen heard the excited voice of his 'Master' with his bond:

 _"Avenger, after you win can you come at our room? Kiritsugu has to give you both some things. Remember to win!"_ and then she closed the bond before Galen could answer.

Galen sighed, and, turning agains towards Saber, asked in a very tired tone:

"Lets do one last charge and then lets see what our master are doing?"

Saber pouted (POUTED!) and then said in a tone which could be considered slightly whining:

"Is that really necessary? It's very entertaining fight against a fellow swordman without having to fear a sword in your guts" she asked.

This question made Galen raise a brow at her, and his lack of reaction made Saber nod at him and accept silently his request.

They silently took the position, under the gazes of their 'Masters', and, like there was an hidden signal, they both dashed at each other.

Saber put the point of the sword behind her and shouted:

" **Strike air: Hammer of the Wind God!** "

This action made her dash even more fast, and made Galen instincts go overdrive.

But Galen had another ace in the hole.

He started swinging the sword much before Saber, knowing that in every case she would be upon him a millisecond before he could strike her.

So he infused his lightsaber with lighting, action which increased the range of his weapon two fold.

And that was Saber undoing.

Because of her style she couldn't stop her charge, only deviate slightly, action that thanks to her speed would normally make her able to avoid the lethal lightsaber.

But the range was unfortunately too much to avoid completely.

When she passed she wasn't able to attack, and when she turned to restart the exchanging of blows, she saw on the snow a tuff ( **Not THE tuff** ) of blond hair.

Saber, sighing, dismissed her weapon, and said:"It seems that you were able to cut part of my hair, Avenger. This spar is yours, and now you can make a question, Rascal".

"I will make that question when we are with our 'Masters'" said Galen, who tended his open right hand to her, after dismissing his lightsaber himself.

Saber looked at the hand and tentatively shook it, and said:

"Don't think that it changes anything between us, Rascal. I still dislike you very much"

"Oh, I love you too, Queenie!" exclaimed Galen, action which made Saber tighten her hand around his own, which made him start sweating a bit at the pain his hand was subject.

It would be the start of a strange, war forged, beatiful friendiship.

 _ **AN**_

 _ **Bentornati bella gente!**_

 _ **Did you like this chapter?**_

 _ **If yes, please review and do your things!**_

 _ **Now lets talk about Kento Marek: you know that in some version of the game he was called "Kento Nion" at the place of "Kento Marek"?**_

 _ **Well, I decided that he took that nubile name of his wife, and that his name was really Kento Nion.**_

 _ **It's only a small detail, which is only a small curiosity.**_

 _ **The Tràkata is a real lightsaber Tecnique, used in the new Jedi order against the Vong.**_

 _ **If you have questions, remember to review and see you next time!**_

 _ **CIAO!**_

 _ **p.s. cursedsilver: I should have corrected my mystake, thank you for pointing it out.**_


	5. Chapter 3: The War finally Begins

_**CIAO BELLA GEN-*schiva vaso***_

 _ **OHI!**_ **I understand how it passed *look at the date* seven months from the previous update, but this is no reason to try to kill me!**

 **Sooo… I had reparation exams at September and now I am in the last year of high school (in Italy we go till we are 19) and I have maturity exams (all the program of the year asked in the exams) so my time to write is a bit…stretched.**

 **Plus I had several ideas on the way.**

 **Look at the pool in the profile to understand.**

 **So. Here is the chatpter, in which (after fifty** _ **thousands of words**_ **) Galen finally arrives in Fuyuki and encounters his nemesis!**

 **Review, follow and flame me!**

 **AND NOW, TO THE CHAPTER!**

 **CHAPTER 3: THE WAR FINALLY BEGINS**

 _Saber's POV; fifteen minutes later; Emiya's room; Einzbern's castle_

" _Who is Gilgamesh, Queenie?"_

Arturia this time was only _mildly_ annoyed at the use of that title by Avenger, thanks to how much he used it and the objective it had, so she turned towards him and asked in return, an eyebrow raised questioning:

"What is making you ask this question, Avenger?"

They were in the room of her Master and of his wife, who were sat at the table, while she was behind her Master and Avenger sat in an extremely unorthodox manner on another chair.

He started rubbing the back of his head and with a sheepish smile he explained:

"Well I won our spar, so why couldn't I ask about it?"

"Because we have had a strategic conference this morning and you could have hinted about it in that moment" said Arturia in a serious manner, her arms crossed on the table, and her posture straight.

Avenger simply turned his head and coughed something awfully similar to 'forgot', which made her and her Master pinch the bridges of their noses at the same time, both groaning at the buffoonish spectacle in front of them, all the while Lady Emiya was laughing merrily at that spectacle.

What an regrettable manner for a skilful warrior.

She groaned again and then said tiredly:

"Just... how did you come to ask a question like this one? It's not the normalcy after all to ask this kind of question"

"I had a vision last night in which I was attacked by a crazy blonde woman by the fact that I insulted her, after that she made the 'evil'" he made the inverted marks with his fingers, while a piece of Arturia's soul died a bit inside of her:"speech about going to make me 'kneel before her', and then a lot of portals sprouted behind her with weapons which then were thrown at me" he ended his tale with a huff.

Arturia blinked once, and only once, and then sighed for another time, a noise that was covered by Lady Emiya laughs fortunately.

Then the noise of the rustling of pages made her raise her eyes in the direction of her Master, who standing next to the room library and was busy searching through an heavy book, its own pages slightly yellowed by the passage of the time, its cover made from dark green hide and its title, in golden colour, being _'The epic of Gilgamesh'._

"Did that vision give you other details, Avenger?" asked her Master, after he stopped his hand at a certain page.

"Hmm... I said before that she was the 'oldest hero in existence' and other than that, without talking about her very costly armor, I can't remember more details" answered Avenger, who tried but otherwise failed to find anything else which could have helped their cause.

"Hmm...Interesting. Saber, can you use your newfound knowledge about this to find about Gilgamesh?"

"I'm sorry, Master" replied Arturia apologetic, her tone completely calm even through it:"I don't know the class nor the face of Gilgamesh, so the Grail doesn't grant me the knowledge of 'her'".

It was similar to requesting the form of an animal without having seen it before not in real life nor in sculpted nor in a drawing, using only the meagre testimonies given by travellers.

"Hmmm" her Master thought with himself, and then he turned towards Avenger again after passing the book to lady Emiya:"You said she used threw her weapons? So she could be an Archer, a strange Caster or a Rider. A wide group, but we can at least turn down Lancer and Assassin from your description. Did her weapons seem strange?"

"I can't say, one of the reason I chose to focus on the analysis is because I didn't have any technique able to accurately find the composition of an object. And it was a vision, soo..."

"So like the normal prophecy your visions aren't very clear, right" commented Lady Emiya, her ruby eyes glinting in curiosity, along with hers and her Master albeit much more secretly.

She didn't know why her Master was so interested in the argument, but she had been the object of a prophecy before, so it was good to have another insight other than the pervert when she would have returned back to Britannia.

It was interesting to note how Avenger, like that afternoon, smiled when he prepared to answer the question, along with a small colouring of his cheeks.

Maybe she had found something she could use as ammunition against him?

Wait, when did she become so petty, so out of the path she chose so many years before and that she still walked on?

"The 'visions' I can control are those called 'Battle Precognitions', basics vision that show in an extremely detailed way what will happen a few seconds before it happens. I honed it to the utmost, but I don't think those are the ones you are talking about" started explaining Avenger, moving his hands wildly around and even getting up from his seat.

Walking around the room he continued to talk:"It's something that all the Force users know and are able to hone, but it's basic. The problem with visions is that the future modifying itself thanks to multiple factors in play, so it's always a bit tricky to come down to it".

"Then how is possible to have a successful vision?" asked Lady Emiya innocently, tilting her head a bit.

It was a question which was asked in the mind of Arturia and her Master too.

"That's where the experienced Jedi is shown. I've had in total three visions, and that's counting the one I just told you about. A good Jedi could have tens, even _hundreds_ , of visions in a during that time, all of a magnitude much, _much_ higher than this one about a psicho chick" Lady Emiya chuckled a bit, but immediately calmed down and Avenger continued to talk:"My master tried to teach me a way to do this: search for the crossings between the possible futures through the Force and look at them, and he showed me that it worked, but at the time it wasn't really my focus. The only time I used that consciously and clearly was thanks to an enormous strain to my body and mind, but I was able to know the location and the time window to operate, and that was in a thousands upon thousands of different possibilities. The other two visions were given completely at random times and gave completely fortuitous informations about them, like a...name in this case" Avenger made a pause, which was covered by Lady Emiya who asked:

"So why do the training to have visions if you can have them without it?"

"Why do you train your body if you can use it alright and you don't have the necessity to do so?" asked rhetorically Avenger:"Because it makes it better, stronger and makes you feel good. With the visions is the same thing: the crossings becomes more visible, the details clearer and your connection with the Force deepens, other than being a calming experience-".

Avenger stopped abruptly and looked towards the door, then with a smirk which replaced the easy-going smile he said to Arturia:

"About names, you didn't answer my question!"

Arturia's face became blank and then she looked at the _infuriating man_ in front of her and replied calmly:

"It's true. Do you want-"

"Then let me hug you, Queenie!" screamed Avenger, and immediately he did just that, praically appearing in front of her.

Arturia froze. Literally froze, and then mechanically started looking up to the _buffon_ who was now openly smirking.

Then he started rubbing his cheek on her forehead.

A growl came through her throat.

Her armour was summoned.

Her core started to use the prana from her Master in larger quantities.

 _Then the Rascal ran away, taking the book the two Emiyas were reading, the two too much taken by the show in front of them, and left the door open_.

Arturia slowly got up, her bangs shadowing her eyes, and turned to the two Masters, who were looking at her silently.

She bowed a bit and said:

"I'm going to put the Rascal to his place. Have a good night".

Then she bolted out herself, her sword now summoned in her right hand.

Then she turned to her right and noticed that the room she and the Rascal had been using the night before had just closed, so she did the most calm, serious and reliable thing;

She charged at it, her sword raised high.

When she got a few meters from it, it opened and she saw Avenger to the side of it, looking annoyed at her with his index on his lips, while he gestured to her to come inside the room, along with whispering:

"Do you want to scare her? Come here quickly, Queenie!"

Arturia didn't have time to answer that she was pulled inside the 'poor-for-rich-room' and Avenger almost closed the door but for a crack.

Arturia was going to express her annoyance, but an hand on her mouth reduced her just complaints in irated murmurs.

Then Avenger talked in a serious and calm tone, his eyes boring inside hers:

"Please don't speak too loud, I don't want to scare Little Sprite now".

Arturia raised a brow at the Little Sprite, not immedietly understanding who he was talking about due the deep annoyance she was feeling.

Avenger pulled his hand away and turned to look through the crack of the door, not paying attention to the very displeased king behind him.

Arturia, without letting her irritation outwardly, looked herself out of the crack, taking space from the larger man there.

Through that little crack she saw a little albino girl in a white nightgown who was trying to walk the most silently possible to the door, and then, hesitating a bit, she knocked on it and moved back, waiting.

After a few moments the door opened to the outside and Lady Emiya exited the room.

Lady Illyasviel found herself lifted by her mother, who hugged her and asked in a gentle tone with an equally gentle smile:

"What's wrong sweetie? It's too late to be still awake, you know?"

"Mama, I can't sleep" said the little child in a small voice, which Arturia was able to hear thanks only to her bettered senses:

"Maybe because you ate that much sweets with 'Big brother', Illya?" asked a male voice, coming from her Master, who started ruffing the little girl hair.

"No, Papa, I didn't eat that much tarts!" the little girl complained, her cheeks puffing out:

"Oh? And what does that tummy say?" was Kiritsugu response to that affirmation, poking the stomach of the little girl and making her squirm under it along some noises that she thought could be associated with happiness:

"No,Papa, don't touch my tummy! Bad Papa, Bad Papa!"

"Ok, ok" said her Master, chuckling a bit between, returining to rub the girl's head:"How about you sleep with us in exchange?"

"Yees.." yawned the little girl, gripping her Master while Lady Emiya walked inside their room, and the door closed with a *click*, along with theirs.

Arturia turned towards Avenger, who was now going towards the wardrobe to make his 'hammock' again, probably, and said:

"Now I understand why you made me go out of the room, it wouldn't have been chivalrous to be there during a familiar moment"

"I did it to not scare her, mostly, but yes, even for that" replied Avenger while making the necessary knots for his 'hammock'

"But why didn't you just say that Lady Illyasviel was coming? I would have followed you out" asked Arturia, trying to understand the thoughts of the man before her.

"Two reasons mostly" started Avenger, finally finishing his knots and testing the 'hammock', his tone serious:"First, I didn't want to spoil the last night they would see each other. We will fight a 'War' in the next days, it is possible that one of our 'Masters' dies during it".

Avenger, after having said that and satisfied with the 'hammock', pulled with the 'Force' a pillow, and took the same position of the last night.

Arturia, dismissing her armour, asked:

"And the second reason is, Avenger?"

Avenger, who was moving a bit on the hammock, stopped, and, after a few moments, he said with an amused tone:

"Oh, because I thought it would have been amusing, Queenie!"

This time she launched a blanket which was conveniently on the bed on her right.

"Thanks again, Queenie! Yesterday it was a bit cold, so thanks you a lot!" chirped Avenger, almost immediately preparing to sleep while she took the sit.

Wait, sleeping?

"Avenger, why are you going to sleep?"

Avenger turned towards her with a raised eyebrow and asked in a calm tone, which though had a strange annoyance in it:

"I think that it's normal for mortal beings to sleep, don't you think so?"

"Not for Servants. We don't require to sleep" replied Arturia serious:

"But I want to sleep!" cried Avenger petulantly, his arms moving wildly under the blanket:

"But it isn't necessary, why would you want to rest yourself?" asked Arturia again:

"Because wait for the next dawn is on of the most boring things to do if you don't have anything worth to do, you know?" answered Avenger, turning to the other side again with a grunt:

"This time could be used by tactical discussion" reflected Arturia wisely:"Or by honing your knowledge about this time and culture, or the map of the city we are going to fight in, or-"

*RONF!*

That was a snore.

Arturia fought very hard with herself to not try to skewer the fellow warrior, but the Rascal made it very difficult to do so.

Well, she could use this time to investigate about this 'Gilgamesh'. There was a library, her pact with Alaya made sure that she had the connection with the Throne, so maybe she would be able to get more certain information about this possible foe.

When she walked out of the room, she could swear that her senses caught on Magecraft being used near, but she put that thought away with the sounds of Avenger's snoring.

 _Irisviel's POV; ?;?_

 _Pain._

" _ **The true power comes from pain, my apprentice. It strengthens you. Accept it, use it, transform it in hatred, and you shall achieve your destiny**_ _"._

 _Pain._

 _A lightsaber descended upon him._

 _Pain._

 _Tens and Tens of bright lights came upon him, while his defences were given only by a lightsaber and his connection with the Force._

 _Pain._

 _His master crushing him physically through hours upon hours of exercise, which made him an unstoppable killing machine, able to fight in every condition._

 _Pain._

 _His master crushing him mentally, making him a loyal puppet, with no other desire than to serve him._

 _Pain._

" _ **You were weak when I found you, but now your hatred has become your strength**_ _"_

 _He felt only pain._

 _Irisviel's POV; The day after; Emiya's room_

' _Yes, I did it- AHH! WHY FORCE, WHY MY HEAD!'_

Irisviel woke up with a choked scream, tears flowing down from her eyes.

Irisviel wasn't sure if she wanted to hit her Servant for waking her up or hugging him for the very same reason.

After all what she had just seen about her Servant wasn't what you would call heartwarming.

She rubbed her eyes from the tears and calmed down as much as possible, just before smiling at two of the other five members of their strange little family, who were both sleeping in the same, exact position, breathing in the same, exact pattern with the same, exact expression.

They were even both deep sleeper!

Ah, how much warmed her heart to see it after that nightmare!

With the lightest moves possible she tried move out of the warm bed.

Unfortunately for her, she had to take out he blankets to get up, and it wasn't a thing much liked both by her husband and her daughter, who latched at her with four arms and made annoyed noises.

Those two are _too much_ similar to each other, it seemed.

*RING!* *RING!* *RING!*

Two voices groaned at the same time when the clock rang, and two hands tried to reach it at the same time, even if the much smaller one was unable to stop it, the bigger one was able to and did it.

Her husband and daughter both got up and rubbed their eyes unanimous, under the extremely amused gaze of Irisviel.

Then a knock came from the door and the voice of Leysritt, which she deciphered as pleased, came through:

"Ah, masters can I enter?"

"Sure, sure, enter little sis!" said brightly Irisviel, then she noticed an oddity when only Leysritt came in:"Where is Sella?"

"Ah, she is…otherwise engaged"

' _You Arschloch (_ **AN idiot in german** ) _! What are your excuses?!'_

' _Let my ear go, you witch!'_

' _Don't call me witch, I am a homunculus magus!'_

"I…can understand that" wondered aloud Irisviel.

Leysritt then bowed and said in a tone slightly tending to amused:

"Ah, I will come with the breakfast. Please help Master and Illya-mei wash themselves"

' _Go wash yourself, Rascal! You stink!'_

' _Let me go, woman! What I have done wrong?!'_

' _You woke up all the castles with that scream, you know!? So go wash yourself!'_

Then Leysritt got out of the room, maybe to try to help her sister.

When she turned she found the Father-daughter duo staring blankly in front of them, both with drool going down their chins.

*Sigh* it would be difficult to wake them up.

Then an idea came in her head, and a wicked smile came on her lips.

After all Kiri would be gone before her, no? So it would be just to punish him now.

" **Dein Zauber vergeht in mir (AN: roughly 'Magic flows in me)** "she whispered, activating one of her circuits.

Then she pointed a finger at them and said the Aria for a simple mystery:

" **Wasserstrahl!** "

 _Irisviel's POV; forty minutes later_ ;

" _Was it necessary Irisviel?"_

Irisviel only hummed merrily while preparing the table for when the rest of their family in the castle and their two Servants would come in.

"You are amused by this, aren't you?"

"How did you come to this conclusion, dear?" replied Irisviel, continuing to hum a catchy tone while putting the cutlery on the table.

"Because then you wouldn't have splashed me with _water_ in winter, you know? At least I had to shower for the journey to Fuyuki so it wasn't that bad" groaned Kiritsugu, taking out two tickets which came with a falcon familiar.

Maiya was able to take the tickets and send them in less than a day.

"And you even splashed Illya! Now she will-"

"Mama! Papa! Look what big brother gave me!"

Illya came in like a storm, as if she was summoned by Kiritsugu, carrying a strange disk in her little hands, her naked feet banging on the floor.

Ah, and she was still wet from the bath, if her glued hair were a tip:

"Wait, ojou-sama, it's cold! Don't run around! You will get sick!"

That was Sella, who was coming with a towel behind her, her cuff forgotten while she huffed slightly from the physical exertion, while Illya, laughing, went in circles around her:

"You can't catch me, Auntie!"

Then Kiritsugu took her up, making the young girl squee in delight, and asked amused:

"What do you have here?"

"Look, papa, look!" said the little girl, then she pressed a button under it, while Sella menacingly drew closer with the towel.

The disk beeped for a bit, then some distorted voices came from it:

" _It's not honourable nor dutiful what you did, Avenger"_ said a voice which belonged to Saber.

" _What? I only gave the Little Sprite an imagecaster, what was wrong about it?"_ questioned a confused Avenger, if the voice was to be believed:

" _Ah. It's not that. It's that you gave Illya-mei that strange disk when she was still wet from the bath. I think"_ that was Leysritt.

" _Ah, yeah. Maybe I was a bit too excited, but this could help them… Now wait a moment, it should be set on hologram in…now"_

Three blue, three dimensional, images of the people she talked about appeared above the device, scaled down in size of dolls.

Sella stopped trying to dry little Illya and looked with her mouth open the three-dimensional images, her towel going on the ground.

Illya made an happy sound and cried:

"Look, look, it works, big brother!"

" _Did you really not have faith in me, Little Sprite? You wound me very deep_!" said Avenger theatrically, putting an hand on his heart and the other on his forehead.

The other two people in the image were openly surprised, Saber above all, if the wide eyes were a tip about it, while Leysritt's minute arching of her eyebrow was very telling for her.

Irisviel, amazed, turned towards an equally amazed Kiritsugu, who was looking at the device with his mouth open wide.

Yes, it was only a few millimetre, but it was incredible in se and showed how much it was advanced.

"Avanger, what is this?" asked at the end Irisviel, trying to understand what she was looking at, while Kiritsugu was too taken by looking at the device brought by their daughter:

" _This"_ said Avenger, pointing at the image of an identical device with his now trademark™ grin _:"Is the Imagecaster!"._

…

…

"Sooo…?" asked again Irisviel, trying to remember a memory of the mundane's lessons that Kiritsugu and Maiya gave her.

Saber, shrugging of her previous incredulity, turned towards Avenger and said, with an hint of annoyance and a light twitch of her eyebrow:

" _I reckon that this explanation is not nearly enough to make us figure out what is the…thing you are showing us, Avenger"._

Avenger turned to her, puzzled, then it downed to him that he didn't nearly explained what was the device, and after a moment he slapped his own face (how did Maiya call it? Facepalm, yes!).

After a groan Avenger looked apologetically at them, rubbing the back of his head, and continued his explanation:

" _Yeah. Right, you don't know about it. Simply said this is an hologram recorder, able to store inside it a good number of minutes of transmission and to connect another similar device and make from planetary to through-galaxy calls, depending on how much powerful the computer is"._

"Through-galaxy? Woooow! And now it is mine, big brother?" asked Illya, her eyes becoming big, shining, red blood, doe like, while her lower lip was trembling.

Even if her Servant had disagreed with giving her daughter that device, Irisviel would have used one of her command seals, while Kiritsugu would have used one of his to make Saber attack him, if she didn't along with Leysritt.

That was the power of THE pout.

But Avenger only tilted his head and asked puzzled:

" _Didn't I say that it was yours to begin with, Little Sprite? Now you can contact the Grim Lord and the White Lady, so why are you asking me if it is yours? It took me an entire night to understand how to summon them, you know!"_

What?

What?

"Really?! Thanks, big brother!" she cried happily, jumping down from her husband's arms and running out of the room, not before turning and saying:

"I'm going to thank big brother, Mama, Papa and aunty Sella!" then she vanished in the hallway with girlish screams behind her, leaving with the device, its last image being a smug Avenger with two shocked people.

Irisviel turned towards the two other people in the room, who slowly turned towards her not understanding what just happened.

 _One thing was sure: she had the strangest best Servant in the war._

 _Kiritsugu's POV; three hours later; Outside Einzbern's castle_

' _So that's it, uh?'_

Kiritsugu was at the side of a rented car, waiting for Avenger to come out of the castle, already dressed in his 'work' suit, a black long coat on black suit on black shirt with above it having a black tie.

Very sober, a timeless fashion sense.

After all who could say the opposite but his wive(s), his maids and his daughter?

No one!

So it was good.

He looked at his wrist watch and noted that Avenger was late.

Sighing, he rubbed his right ear, where an hard object was inside it.

Avenger was showing himself much more useful than estimated.

Now if only he was on time he would get along with him just fine.

' _Well I think I can smoke a bit while I wait'_ he thought, taking out a cigarette and his trusted lighter and, putting the cigarette in his mouth he anticipated the cheap tobacco's fragrance inside it along with the much welcome heat;

While shielding the cigarette with his hand he neared the lighter, its light orange and blue;

Then, when the fire was meeting the end of the cigarette…

" _INCOMING!"_

Then an object hit the ground with such a force to rise a bank of snow before him, which radius came exactly on his hand with the lighter.

Along with deafening him in one ear, but that was secondary.

In that instant he was annoyed not only at Avenger, now dressed with a suit similar to his own, who was the one who made the jump, but at Murphy as well, because he _knew_ that that covert magus able to change the laws of physics to his amusement.

It could even have been Zelretch in disguise, only him could have had the power to do so.

"We won, big brother!" said his dear daughter on the top of the Servant Avenger's shoulder, moving her little fist in the air above in a winning pose.

Then came another blur, this time his Servant with an emotionless face, who was carrying his wife.

Who was pouting:

"It's not fair, Avenger! Saber didn't knot her tie when you started! Then you even gave me the one for Maiya!"

"But I was ready when we started, 'Master', so why should I have waited?" replied Avenger, looking as amused as Kiritsugu was at the moment.

Which was extremely, even if he didn't let it go through the facade

"Because it's fair play! And you have to obey me, you know!" tried to complain his wife, using her most childish tone:

"But if I lost to Queenie then she would be angry that I went easy against her!" rebutted Avenger, launching Saber under the tram.

But she, using her B ranked Charisma, was able to defuse her problematic situation with her diplomatic tone:

"Lady Irisviel, Lady Illyasviel, didn't you ask us to accompany you for a reason?"

""Ah, it's true!"" the two 'normal' beings who came there remembered something and physically threw themselves upon a suspecting Kiritsugu, who was only able to prepare himself for the human weight which came against him, making him crush against the car while hugging them.

Avenger winked at him and then signed to Saber to make space for them, leaving them alone and making Kiritsugu thank them silently.

Then he felt the bites, which made him try to get away from the two mauling important people in his life but the car behind him made it impossible; so the only thing he could do was suffer in silence.

All the while cursing the two Servants.

When the teeth left his flesh he looked down at the two girls who were looking angrily at him, while he could feel the tips of his fingers becoming hot as fire, making him think quickly what he had to say to calm down the two prana reactors in front of him before they tied him somewhere for what could actually be treason (for them).

 _For having forgotten to say goodbye._

' _It's going to be a long travel to Japan'_ thought piteously Kiritsugu while he felt the tips of his fingers becoming hot.

 _But he would have loved that these kind of days would have happened again_

 _15 minutes later_

" _Oh, hello Grim Lord! Did you have a nice chat?"_

It was the grinning face of Avenger that greeted him when he entered in the car, sit on the passenger seat.

Kiritsugu didn't give him an answer and only started the engine, starting to drive on the dirt road out of the castle.

The Servant didn't stop smiling, but he started to look around the car, curious but not so much alienated by the vehicle they were in.

Interesting.

Then Kiritsugu talked for the first time, while they were turning towards the first true road that would have directed them towards the airport:

"Inside the compartment in front of you there is your ticket, your ID and your passport, along with a camera. Take them out, please".

"Did you really have to give **Ikari Fukushuusha** ( **AN: I want you to look at the meaning and then comment this time** ) as my fake identity, Grim Lord? And why a camera?" asked Avenger, while taking out the objects and giving the camera to Kiritsugu, who said:

"We couldn't make photos of your face inside the boundary fields due to the interferences given by the abundance of prana, so we are doing them on the road, even if I would have preferred to have a better way to do this, but with our tight schedule it was all we could gather" answered Kiritsugu, his eyes on the road while one hand on the wheel.

Then, after a turn where they were on the provincial road towards the highway, while there was no car around for being late morning he turned towards Avenger and asked:

"Keep the wheel like this while I take your picture, could you?" and in that moment he left the thing _which wouldn't have made them crush,_ while Kiritsugu turned and started to take the machine in front of Avenger's face, which expressed all his displeasure and sheer fear at being given the commands that way along with his… exclamations:

"Sith spit! What in the name of the Force are you doing, Grim lord!"

"Look at me please" said calmly Kiritsugu, only his lips twitching slightly upwards giving the display of his amusement.

Avenger turned towards him, probably to shout obscenities at him, but the flash of his modified camera made him stop and shout loudly, his hands on his eyes.

Kiritsugu, while using one hand to direct the car when necessary, used the other to close the windows, posing the camera on the dashboard.

It wouldn't do to have noise complaints now, after all, they had a schedule to respect after all.

While the Servant was convulsing on his seat, a whirling sound was heard from the camera and six photos of Avenger, everyone with the dimension of a photo id.

When it was done, he passed them to Avenger who, rubbing his eyes, looked at him quizzically.

Until he, with a quick motion of his wrist, made appear a knife from his cuff which was taken with a quiet nod by Avenger, who, after a few moments when Kiritsugu felt that he was using his… borrowed Circuits thanks to a sudden heating sensations on his fingertips, with two quick slashes, cut the photo exactly in its limits.

"Take the glue and the stamp and stick the photos on the ID and the passport, then validate them" asked Kiritsugu while entering in the highway that would have directed them towards the airport.

"Just asking" came the voice of Avenger, while he was trying to do a passable job on a car which was going at 160 km/h:"Which name does Queenie have?"

Kiritsugu became quiet for a moment, knowing that the name Maya chose wasn't exactly… just towards the once and future 'King', but he knew that one way or another Avenger would come to know it, so:

"The name we chose for her was **Kenshi Jouou (AN same thing as before, SEARCH!)** "

Avenger stopped for a moment, then exploded in laughs, so boisterous that the car itself was shaking.

Or maybe it was caused by the fact that Avenger was moving like a child. A child able to lift several hundreds of kilos of beast, but a child nonetheless.

"BWAHAHAA! THAT NAME! I WANT TO SEE HER FACE WHEN SHE DISCOVERS IT!AHA!"

After a few minutes, while the cars around them _strangely_ gave them a wide breath, Avenger calmed down. A bit:

"*cackle* I think *cackle* that you have a strange sense of humor, Grim lord. Not bad, only strange."

Then Avenger stopped for a moment and asked, his voice more serious:

"But wouldn't it make known about Queenie identity? Or even mine, for that matter? Wouldn't it be counterproductive to use those names as our fake identity?"

"No, our opponents won't know about those names" declared Kiritsugu with surety.

Avenger wasn't so much convinced by it, and, while the car was speeding in the highway which would have directed them to Frankfurt, he inquired:

"Why wouldn't they? We are in a war, after all. Isn't information important?"

"Yes, they are, and they have means to garner knowledge" started Kiritsugu, while Avenger kept his expression exceptionally calm:"but those means are often antiquated and worthless, and those which aren't are extremely costly both materially and pranally wise.

Plus there is the mind-set of non-mundanes in general, which consider everything which is from the Sun-lit world, or non magical world, to be backwards and useless. This is one of the greatest reason which explain why I am so much deadly against Magi" Kiritsugu noticed the lack of reaction by Avenger at the knowledge of being an assassin, but even so he continued:

"Even more is the fact that your own servant class isn't one of the planned ones and, even if the Einzbern did summon an Avenger in the previous war, it was extremely weak, something which, along with your… strange ability we can use in our advantage.

Saber on the other hand has a well known legend, which makes absolutely primary to remain unknown that she doesn't reveal her sword. Luckily the fact that in her legend she is a man makes it much more simple".

"UH?" Avenger turned to him wide eyed, his head turning so fast that the afterimage could be seen, and exclaimed:"What do you mean she is considered a man?! I can understand that she is flat as a board-!"

 _Saber's POV_

' _Why did I gain the sudden instinct of maiming Avenger?'_ thought Saber, her tuff of hair rising up like a guard, while Irisviel was moving from a part another of the castle moaning about boredom, along with the young lady.

Then she felt a building up of prana, and noticed that a few strands of their hair were now azure.

Sighing, Saber prepared for a long four hours time range before the travel towards the 'airport'.

 _Kiritsugu's POV_

'-But there is a limit in idiocy and pigheadedness!'

'During her times it was unseemengly to let a woman rule, and if she didn't disguise herself her country would have fallen against the Saxon invaders, or it would have been looted by the Irishes, or conquered by magic by Morgana le Fay. With her life and legend she stimulated generations of men and women to strive behind her example' explained Kiritsugu, his tone not letting though any of his small admiration of his Servants.

After all it was still his ambition to save the most lives possible, desire which grew even stronger with his mother death, and above all her final words which made him try even harder to reach his dream.

A world where everyone, human and not, could live, without any violence, without any strife, without having to lose their lives for pointless conflicts.

A world where a child didn't have to lose a mother.

It was for this reason that he accepted the work given by the troll of helping that 'Order' to go against that 'dark lord', in exchange of the rest of his family's magical crest and information for the Grail war.

It wasn't a pretty sight, but he had seen much worse done by mundanes and at least he could say that he was prepared to kill, unlike those stupid-

Well, after that he was given the reward he asked for, along with thirty eight Origin bullets and a phial of memories by Zeltretch, probably given thanks to the Kaleidoscope.

And he still didn't understand why did the troll say that the bullets were 'Easter eggs', but the memories were… eye opening at least.

They didn't expect that King Arthur, the Servant they were going to summon, was a young looking woman who was fit to that role since her birth.

One thing was knowing the story, another was living it.

Which made his idea of distancing himself from his Servant no longer viable.

And Zelretch knew this and found it somehow funny.

He didn't know why and didn't want to know.

So now here he was, driving towards the airport with his wife's Servant, who was as strange as her.

Probably Zelretch knew this.

*Sigh*

It was going to be a very long deadly contest.

'Oi, Grim Lord, how much more does it take?'

And the same Servant was probably even more childish than her:

'We are almost there, Avenger' answered Kiritugu, a bit surprised that his mental detour took him at least half an hour.

Avenger made a grunt while moving in his seat, and commented with an annoyed tone:

'Finally! I hate not being able to move, ya know? At least I was able to hack the radio to-'

'Wait, you hacked the radio?' asked Kiritsugu, a bit surprised, unnerved and intrigued at the same time:

'Yes, and now I can do this!' shouted Avenger brightly, then pushing some buttons on the device on his wrist.

You know the low, classic music you put on the stereo on long trips to remain calm in the traffic?

Well, let a friend replace it suddenly with _heavy metal_ on the max volume, and you would get the normal reaction.

Luckily for both the people on the car Kiritsugu wasn't that jumpy and didn't start an accident, but seeing the Servant head banging at the Avenged Sevenfold's music (which was strangely fitting for him) made Kiritsugu want to cry a little, made even more easier by the fact that Avenger was jangling with his own voice:

' _Mental frictions follows meee~! Show me what is like to be set freee~!'_

 _He has already got the lyrics._

 _This was going to be a very long battle indeed_

 _Irisviel's POV; eighteen hours later; on the way towards Fuyuki City_

' _Wooa, we are so high!'_

Irisviel was excited.

No, scratch that, it's too much of an understatement;

Irisviel was _really_ excited.

Better? No, it's not nearly enough.

Irisviel was _really really-_

'Please don't move so much, lady Irisviel, lest we make fall upon us the ire of the maids of this machine' said gravely Saber, not rising, much to Irisviel's (childish and understandable) annoyance.

Which showed with a pout when Irisviel turned towards Saber from the blue carpet outside the window and whined to the Servant, who was reading a book:

'But Saber, it happened only one time!'

Saber only turned the page of the book, _'The deeds of King Arthur and his noble knights'_ , and talked with voice of iron:

'While I was given an hideous monicker to use by Avenger, who I will strike after we have arrived, I would prefer that you use it, Lady Irisviel. Said that, I reckon that it wasn't only one time that the fact has happened'

'But it has happened one time _on this plane, Kenshi-san!_ ' said cheekily Irisviel, winking with one eye.

Saber sighed, but her lips twitched up a bit, then returned to read.

Irisviel, with a giggle, turned behind her, where her two little sisters were sleeping, or in the case of Sella, purring, who came here at the place of the other homunculi to control the castle in Fuyuki.

Then she looked outside, making her seat recline too much forward again, until a known voice made itself known again:

' _What do you mean that I chose the nickname, White Lady?'_

Irisviel stopped for a moment, then a drop of cold sweat started to form on her face, while with her most innocent tone she replied mentally:

' _Weelll, when I gave her the ID I might have added that you advised to use that name, because I might have thought that it would have been amusing'_

Avenger snorted inside the mental link, then, with a tinge of amusement in his 'voice', he said:

'… _Well, I can't disagree with you about the amusing part, but for now we might have to fly over that part'_

' _Why?'_ asked Irisviel, curious.

' _Well, we might have to decide if blow up a building or not'_ answered sheepishly Avenger.

' _Ora ora'_ said Irisviel, putting her hand in front of her mouth at the little giggle: _'So it's Thursday again?'_

'What did you just say, Master?!'

' _It seems like the Grim Lord gave the new to Queenie, right?'_ commented Avenger, like he was talking about the weather.

' _Hmm Hmm'_ nodded brightly Irisviel, while she could hear the growling coming from the Servant at her side.

' _If you could calm down, Saber, it would be very much appreciated'_ came the toneless voice of her husband from the device Avenger gave them before, which made her back stiffen and her smile flatten.

It wasn't time to be too silly.

Even if she could strangely hear some sort of song on the background.

' _We know now know thanks to Avenger that Archibald is at the thirty second floor of the Hyatt Hotel,_ all of it _, and, thanks to our contacts in Japan we were able to plant several charges of plastic explosive to bring it down'_ said Kiritsugu with a tone more similar to a machine than to a man.

But Irisviel knew how her husband thought so she mentally, to not arouse the other flight users, inquired to Avenger, before Saber's indignation exploded inside the plane:

' _Could you please ask Kiritsugu the detailed plan, Avenger?'_

And so it was given to her, both genial and cruel in its simplicity.

To terminate the target they would make the building itself blow up, sabotaging the pillars in the middle floors with Archibald still inside, none of the wiser due to the mundanity of the method used and without going in the worst place to fight a Magus, which was his Workshop.

The most problematic matter was:

'And what about the innocents inside building, Master?' asked with an deceitfully calm whisper, her eyes practically lit up at how much she was angered and her lips snarling like an angered lion.

' _I would like to know about it as well, Avenger'_ asked mentally Irisviel with a flat tone, which made Avenger (and unconsciously Kiritsugu) shiver.

Then Avenger talked in a calm tone, while Saber remained serious as her husband probably explained that detail to her:

' _The Grim Lord said that we will make the fire alarm ring to make the people inside the hotel go out, then we will make the bombs explode after we made sure that no one else is inside the building'_

' _Will you be there as well, Avenger?'_ asked Irisviel curious:

' _Yes, because while Queenie is the Grim Lord's 'Servant'_ _,_ _we were running on a tight schedule. Plus I am able to sense the life around me thanks to the Force, so I will be useful, unlike Queenie would be'_.

Irisviel was sure that she had seen Saber's eyebrow twitch a bit, but she was more amazed by the sheer incredibleness of her Servant, which she 'voiced':

' _What are you Avenger, a Swiss Army knife?'_

' _I don't know what that means, White Lady, but I will take it as a compliment'_ answered Avenger, bragging: _'Now I have to go, those cams will not hack themselves, and I can't stand the screeching of the Grim Lord!'_

Then the mental contact was severed, living a very much confused Irisviel upon the meaning of 'hacking' and what her husband was doing.

Oh, well, she would return to see the blue ocean below.

 _Trying to get the most out of her last days_

 _Galen's POV; two hours later (14.30 local hours); Narita International Airport_

' _ **Flight 'VO 787' has landed, the passengers will now descend from the plane in the Terminal one, gate 55'**_

' _That's the flight, Avenger. Let's go'_

Galen looked up from his PAC 20 with a satisfied expression and, stretching after getting up, he said:

'Finally! My back was starting to become metal on that chair!'

The Grim Lord only raised a brow and started to walk towards the 'gate' while chewing calmly on a gum and pulling his trolley behind him.

Galen grinned and, after deactivating the screen of his wrist communicator and stopping to use the Force to conceal the device as a much more simple telephone like the ones he had seen around, followed the Grim Lord to their destination.

While walking through the faceless crowd, Galen looked around and glanced at the cameras all over the walls, smirking.

After all now he had the control of them, and it only took five hours!

Of which four and half were passed trying to understand how this ancient system worked, while the remnant half hour was passed skipping like a little girl through those pitiful passwords.

Which only needed him to get the passwords through the 'E-mails' of those who had them, all made by his splendid wrist computer.

Ahh, how simple.

If only it could be done without having to hear the 'singing' voice of the Grim Lord and those perverted thoughts coming from the secretary of the 'karaoke bar', or the strange flirting he did with the other wife when asking for the 'tablet' thingy while _Galen himself had to sing_ , then it would have been perfect.

*Sigh* be damned his telepathy, now he will have nightmares every time about… brrr!

The it came, like a thunder in a cloudless night:

' _Kiritsugu!'_

A white missile impacted against Kiritsugu, making him nearly fall if he didn't use the Forc- _Magecraft_ to reinforce his legs, and even then he had to step back a bit.

Then came the kiss, which made Galen very uncomfortable and search for Queenie, who he found a bit behind, looking around.

He did what everyone would do in his place.

He dashed on her, jumping and screaming:

'QUEENIEEEEE!'

A dodge greeted his attempt.

While Galen was bouncing on the ground, Queenie looked over him with a strained smile and a shadow over her eyes, then talked with an equally annoyed voice:

'Greetings to you, _Ikari-san_. How are you?'

'You dodged!' cried more surprised than angered Galen, rubbing his aching backside and making the unaware people around avert their eyes from the pitiful spectacle in front of them.

Queenie looked around, equally noticing the staring around them, and with a sigh she offered her hand and helped him get up, which he did without much trouble.

After Galen had dusted his suit he asked awkwardly:

'Soooo… How was the travel for you two?'

Queenie only quirked an eyebrow at the frankly pathetic attempt of a start of a conversation, but otherwise smiled good-naturedly and answered:

'It was comfortable, having considered all, thank you. But you are wrong in one thing, _Ikari-san_ '

'Hmm? What?' asked Galen curious.

'Ah. Onee-sama. Servant-sama has forgotten about us' said a female toneless voice which made Galen grin and greeted the two sisters without arousing the suspect of the people around:

'Hello Blunty, Frosty! I didn't know that you would come here! I thought that that slave driver was still whipping you'

'Good day, scum' said Frosty, making Galen's grin widen:'…You are happy that I'm angered by your presence, scum? Really?'

'I'm just happy to see more friends around, that's all' exclaimed Galen honestly, hugging Frosty immediately after.

Thing which made Frosty 'froze' inside his arms, until, while in the background the White Lady was giggling, Blunty said:

'Ah. Servant-sama. Onee-sama doesn't like that'

Galen let the woman go, who looked at him with an open mouth and a twitchy eye, until she 'hmm'ped at him and gave the two hand luggage she was carrying to him.

'Ah. Servant-sama. After we take the other luggage. Could you help transport them?' asked Blunty, tilting her head.

Galen raised a brow, looked at his allies, all of which but Irisviel, who gave hers to Saber, and the two maids had their hands taken by their luggage, and misured those with the one the Grim Lord had, and asked within himself:

' _There are other thing'_

 _Poor, innocent soul, of course there are other things to transport._

 _Galen POV; a quarter of hour later._

' _Why is there so much stuff?!'_

Galen had just learned a valuable lesson, which every male learned from father to son:

 _Women. Almost. Always. Had. A. Lot. Of. Luggage._

Yes, when there is something needed, women have it, like first aid, clothes when they are ruined (three times that amount), vat anti-rabies…

But that was at the expense of the comfort of carrying them;

And that was usually when their man came to 'help' (take all the bags, handbags and little things).

The only variation of this rule in this situation was that, along with the Grim Lord and him, Queenie herself was carrying a good number of those bags.

But what is inside those bags that makes them so heavy!

' _Well, Avenger'_ talked the White Lady through the bond jovially: _'Inside those bags there are several alchemist ingredients and potions, very much useful for us, from curing burns to dissolve in case we have to hid a corpse'_

See? Everything that is needed is there.

' _So I have behind my back something extremely dangerous and that could melt me?'_ asked Galen, trying to not shake too much the unstable _thing_ which was inside the hand luggage.

' _Why, is it strange?'_ asked in a questioning tone the White Lady, with question marks appearing on her head.

*Sigh* I just…

' **MAIYAA-CHAAN!'** just after that… pretty creepy declaration Irisiviel practically flew like a surface to air missile to a woman with short, black hair who was tackled and then kissed:

' _It's not a matter of mine!'_ thought Galen while averting his eyes with a blush and a very, _very_ minute smirk.

So that's what Kota was talking about while talking of two Zeltrons under a bed and why he would like that, even if he wouldn't ever do anything to them!

His smirk became a bit wider when Queenie blushed more openly and pointed at the two women.

Then, when the Grim Lord did the same thing, he remembered that the Grim Lord himself had said that the three were married to each other.

Not like it was that strange from where he came from.

The Galaxy was a big place, after all.

Then he heard two small coughs coming from Frosty, which made the woman called Maiya- who he would have called from now the Dark Lady- and the Grim Lord stop their kissing and carefully avoided the glare Frosty was shooting at them while the White lady was merrily laughing on the background.

The Dark Lady then noticed us 'Servants' and… bowed to us? Is that some kind of greeting?

Then she introduced herself with a calm voice:

'I'm honoured to meet you, Servant Saber, Servant Avenger, my name is Maiya von Einzbern Emiya and I hope that I will be able to support you accordingly'

Queenie greeted the Dark Lady bowing herself, even if a bit less:

'Greetings to you, lady Maiya, I hope that with your help we will be able to win this fight more swiftly'

…

Ok…? Should Galen now use the same way or-:

'Hello, Dark Lady! I'm happy to know the White Lady's Lady, how are you?'.

Or he could simply improvise without having even a sliver of social courtesy.

The Dark Lady glanced quickly at the other people there, trying to understand how to answer to such an _incredible_ greeting.

Those people were too busy chuckling (White Lady) or putting their hands in front of their eyes (the other people).

Then, after some moments, Maiya replied a bit tentatively:

'I'm… well, thank you Avenger'

After two nods at Frosty and Blunty, she turned towards the two 'Masters' and said:

'I have done the preparations, master, Irisviel-sama'

The Grim Lord's knees collapsed for a moment while he pinched his nose, then, after a few moments of silence he sighed:

'Lets go'

So the two Ladies took the arms of the Grim Lord and started walking towards the car park, followed behind by the Frosty and Blunty and then by Galen, who passed next to Queenie, who was looking at the and murmuring something on the lines of-:

'Wait… How… But… Why… And… What'

-a list of adverbs and conjunctions.

Galen gave a pat on her shoulder to snap her off from her reverie and joked while smiling sardonically:

'Come on, Queenie, does it take so little to shake you? How disappointing' shaking his head he continued to walk with the bomb on his shoulders and those boulders in his hands.

Queenie snapped out and glared behind his head while following him carrying the same, exaggerated luggage.

 _Now, how do you not make a bomb explode?_

 _Irisiviel's POV; a few minutes later; airport's parking lot_

' _How did you do it, Maiya?'_

Irisviel didn't understand the question.

What was strange in parking a cute car with a covered trailer in two spots?

'There is something wrong, master?' asked Maiya concerned.

'A Multipla, Maiya? Really?' questioned Kiritsugu with a depressed tone, looking at the car which reassembled a dog.  
A very cute dog at that.

Maiya's cheeks became red while she stared at the car, then she answered:

'I had to rent a car able to accommodate six people, to transport our equipment and to drag Irisviel-sama's car. I didn't have enough time to choose a better car'

Irisviel could swear that Maiya was pouting under her calm façade.

Wait, did Maiya say that the trailer was for her car?

YEAH!  
But wait, her car was in Europe, and what the cover was hiding was too small to be her car, so what was under it?

'Aren't we a bit too many to stay inside the car? Probably Queenie is small enough to be in the trunk but-*THUNK* Ahi.'

That was Saber's kick on the shin of Avenger, without it having any effect.

Avenger continued calmly:

'But I don't think that the authorities would let us go with a child inside-*THUNK!* OI!'

This time the kick had an effect, but Avenger was able to remain standing and don't jump, probably thinking that he would have made explode to kingdom come if he did.

Not like it was possible, thanks to the precautions taken before the trip.

Avenger turned towards the stony face of Saber, whom only clue of annoyance was the tick on her eyebrow.

Avenger grumbled but again restarted talking:

'-so how does the last one move?' finished Avenger with a curious tone.

Maiya didn't say anything and only moved at the side of the trailer, loosened the knots that held the cover and raised it.

Oh, so it was ready!

Under the cover there was what could be described as an armoured motorcycle, of which armour reassembled at the nose and the tail looked like a metallic horse while the wheels were partially hidden by the armour itself.

Irisviel could hear the runic protection hum under the armour, with sounds of vibrating metal and voices of iron and whispers of winds overlapping each other in a strange but pleasing harmony.

Pleasingly strange.

Strangely pleasing.

Hmm… Which was better?

'MINE!'

Avenger, while Irisviel mused on the calming effect of the protection, jumped upon the bike head first, after having put the seemingly delicate ( **dangerous** ) luggage on the ground.

And he would have reached the bike with that one jump if Saber hadn't caught him by the feet and consequently nearly make him hit the hard pavement face first.

If he didn't catch himself with his hands he would have surely hit it.

Avenger turned to glare at Saber, who was beatifically smiling at him when she said:

'My apologies, scoundrel, but myself should be the one to ride this mount'

Avenger stared at her for a moment, then he smirked and, without breaking a sweat, he catapulted Saber in the air, who was still gripping his feet; but Saber, with an unnatural grace, was able to land on her own legs but having to let go his when she had to spin to land standing.

This gave Avenger a chance to get up, but now he had Saber in front of him, her face now serious.

Avenger stopped for a moment, then, with a final tone, he said:

'The first to land a blow takes the bike'

Well, that was her cue to stop this.  
After all, it was better to not alert mundane authority for now, even if it would have been an hilarious memory to show Illya.

'Now, now, it wouldn't be good to fight here, wouldn't it?'

She didn't know how she was able to do it, why she was able to, but when she talked that way she could feel some prana oozing off from her for some reason when she said those words, and those same words, said in a pretty innocent tone, made Saber tense up while Avenger raised his hands up without letting his smirk go.

The fact that Avenger wasn't fazed by her 'power' made her curious, so she let her prana flow for some more…

'Ah. Irisviel-sama. Could you please stop. Scaring Sella onee-sama?' the slightly trembling monotone coming from Leysritt made Irisviel stop and turn around seeing both Sella and Maiya hiding respectively behind Leysritt, who was probably suffocating due to how much Sella was gripping her, and Kiritsugu, who both were shivering under her gaze, with Kiritsugu nervously gripping a cigarette and a lighter in his hands.

Irisviel fixed her gaze on the two objects and crossed her arms, making Kiritsugu immediately pocket them with a whistle and making Irisviel smile happily.

Kiritsugu coughed in his fist to diffuse (his) tension and then he said in a calm tone:

'Saber will be the one to drive the bike…' the last letter became much more quieter when Saber looked at him with an expression of absolute glee while Avenger looked like a kicked puppy.

A puppy able to destroy a warg pack, while having one of the strangest sad expression she had ever seen.

Kiritsugu, confused by the face Avenger was showing, somehow was able to let go the oddness of the situation and continue, while Sella and Leysritt loaded the luggage on the cute car trunk:

'…Because we had only prepared on driver license and with our times we could only forge one' concluded Kiritsugu, while Maiya gave to Saber a white card with a thick wall of Kanjis upon it and a set of cycle keys, which were immidietly used to ignite the gasoline-prana hybrid engine, which roared, making Saber gain a strange glint in her eyes without showing any other expression if not seriousness

Avenger looked downcast for a moment until he shot up like he was hit by a lightning, a grin on his lips, while the two maids tried to make space between bones, livers and unnamed anatomical parts to put one of her bags of ingredients:

'Ok, but how will Queenie get in Fuyuki if she doesn't know the road? After all she doesn't have a navigator, am I right?'

Irisviel did like the devious smile he was wearing, while Maiya nodded slightly, rubbing her chin, and whispered:  
'We have one, but we will need it to get into the city'

Avenger's grin became wider and Irisviel could feel through the bond the mischief towards Saber when he said:

'So Queenie can't get to the city without one, right?'

Saber squinted her eyes at Avenger, her expression remaining the same, while Kiritsugu pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed, noise which was covered when the Servant asked sharply, still not understanding where Avenger was going:

'What are you suggesting, Avenger?'

Avenger's grin was now showing all his teeth, his eyes closed while his voice teasing:

'Well, I have a navigator, and that bike will not get to Fuyuki if Queenie doesn't know how to get there, right?'

Saber now understood what Avenger was saying, by how much her ahoge was standing and she was growling at him, her hands clenching on the handle protectively when she talked neutrally despite her irritation:

'So what do you want, Avenger? That I, despite the orders given by my lord, relinquish to this steed? I can't do that, despite you victory upon me yesterday'

'Nonono!' Avenger was quickly to defuse the situation, despite this was what even Irisviel thought he wanted:'I only want to navigate you there! I understand what the Grim Lord is saying, and I already used the victory's token!'

Wait, the hug was really what he considered to be the prize?

'But please, I don't want to be inside that horrid thing!' he said, despair oozing off from him.

Oh, wait, it was Maiya, and this wouldn't do!  
Hugsies!

Because Irisviel was hugging and rubbing her cheek on her wife's cheek, Maiya stopped brooding on the insults about the cute car and smile slightly, a victory for the homunculus.

Then she heard Saber's voice which said in a slightly exasperated tone:

'Come on the steed, Avenger. But I ask you to stop that pitiful face, it arises confusing feelings in me'

'Roger that!' said Avenger and, after a few moments, she heard Saber exclaim:

'Gee thee up!'

And a metallic roar was heard, along with the screeching of tires, and, with Avenger's laughter in the background, the two Servant left the mortals behind, looking at the quickly disappearing silhouette of the unearthly beings.

Kiritsugu, without moving his hand from his nose, moved his other hand to his ear and said with a serious tone:

'Remember to remain nearby in case some Master becomes daring and attacks in day light'.

' _Acknowledged, Master'_

' _A-okay. Grim Lord!'_

Kiritsugu dropped the hand and went towards the car, muttering something on the lines of 'It's really her Servant', while Sella and Leysritt, having finished loading the luggage, sat in the backseats, both sighing.

Irisviel skipped to the left side of the car, thinking that there would have been the wheel and the brake and the throttle and the thing in the middle, but when she sat she found nothing in front of her, and when she turned to the furthest seat she saw Maiya, with the keys in her hand, who was now in the driver seat.

Maiya turned towards Irisviel and said with a slightly smug tone:

'Is there some problem, Irisviel-sama?'

Irisviel pouted at her and whined:

'Maiya-chan! I want to drive!'

Kiritsugu, in the middle, chuckled.

Bad life choice, man.

That made Irisviel go full puppy eyes at her two spouses with a whining worthy of the most sad doggie, with a sorrowful music in the background mysteriously while Irisviel, with the most miserable tone, begged:

'Pwease, can you let me drive, Maiya-tan?'

*UGH!*

All the people in the car had to grasp their heart at the prayer, fortunately it was before they were in the highway; an accident wouldn't have been a good start for a war, where there was an high chance for them to die very, _very_ painfully, both by enemy Magi and Servants, after all.

Lets not count those possibilities and certainty now, it's silly time!  
'I-I-I'm sorry, Irisviel-sama, but I can't let you drive, you still aren't ready. Even then, in the conditions of the contract I gave my consent that I was the driver, so I really can't let you drive' said Maiya, her eyes darting to Kiritsugu who nodded a bit too forcefully.

Irisviel eyes went down when she heard those words, with a demure 'Ok' as a sign of understanding whispered through, and her gaze turned towards the still limpid sky.

Then Kiritsugu said seven magical words which made Irisviel mood make a 180, while starting the engine:

'What about we go on a date? We have enough time to do it, and we will not have any more chances to do this.'

Irisviel's head shot up and she squeed loud enough for the people in the other cars to turn towards them with surprised expressions.

Not like anyone in their strange family would have cared about that, since now they would have a way to gain new memories together.

Then joy became concern in the heart, along with a profound sadness, which Irisviel showed with these words, resolute:

'But shouldn't we use that time to make the final details, to control the weapons and the potions, to activate the defences of the Fortress ***(Look notes)**? If it could hurt you I don't want to be selfish'.

It wasn't only that, but she thought that it would be enough.

Then, when two warm smiles was what her words created, she knew that she hadn't been able to steer the decision the two (now she was sure they had accorded before) had made.

Then Maiya, moving her hands towards the glove box, took out a tablet and passed it to Kiritsugu who, after tinkering with it while whistling innocently, said:

'It seems that we have all we need for the last touches in here, Iri, don't worry'

'But the protections…' Irisviel tried to make an excuse to protect the ones close to her heart, but Sella beat her on it, placing an hand on her shoulder and saying, her speech without any of the titles she used usually:

'We can work on it, Onee-sama, it's no problem. We could use some time to clean the Fortress, too, and it would be better to have no-one around'

Leysritt nodded at the side, her lips moving a little bit up, showing her agreement with the other members of their family.

She could even hear Illya saying to go with them and prepare a souvenir for her, how much she knew her family.

So that support from all her family, coupled from her own desire to go with them, made her nod with a blinding smile, her eyes closed while she wiped her tears.

 _What a strange world is this, where there are tears of joy and smiles of sadness_

 _Irisviel's POV; on the way to Fuyuki City; one hour later_

' _This is simply impossible'_

This last phrase was said by Kiritsugu, who was looking at the tablet with a focused look, after looking at the last video taken by the magically reinforced cameras just outside Tohsaka's manor, which had just showed the incredible:

The Servant Assassin was just killed by Tohsaka's Servant, who used a rain of weapons to kill him.

Which was the way Avenger said Gilgamesh will have attacked him, what a small world:  
 _'It seems strange to me too, Master'_ Saber's voice was heard clear through the three little devices now on the dashboard in German, so it would be harder that in the remote chance they were heard they would have been understood _:'After so little time the Assassin has already tried to slay a Master. The timing seems too much off'_

' _There is even the way he did it, Queenie'_ Avenger's voice was serious, while he looked at the video through her own eyes, which she felt as a slight pressure _:'A good killer wouldn't have alerted the prey by destroying the alarm. It's like he wanted to be found'_

'It's that really possible?' asked Irisviel, tilting her head and poking her cheek:'After all why would someone kill his Servant? Couldn't it be taken as stupidity?'

'No, it wouldn't be a good thing to underestimate our enemy' said Maiya softly, not turning to look at them but having already seen the clip before, so knowing the content of it:'Even if it could be taken as an act of impulsivity by a Master, the chance of it is improbable'

'What we cannot know, considering this a ruse, is if Tohsaka is in the known or not' wondered aloud Kiritsugu, looking again the footage.

Irisviel leaned back at the seat, closed her eyes and, after a few seconds of open humming, she talked calmly, unlike her usual self:'If we can't say that Assassin's Master was simply stupid, I would say that Tohsaka was in the known of the attack. After all Tokiomi has an apprentice who is also a Master, is favoured by the Church from our reports, which Kotomine is part of, was already there, his Servant was already on the roof looking upon the device, like she knew of the attack, then the Servant knew what to damage in the bounded field so quickly, even if it was the first defence of the home and it seems very much complex. Right Sella?'

'From what I've seen in the video I can't be sure, but, comparing it with others we have stumbled upon during the war, I would say it's not a kid's play to breach it' answered her little sister.

Irisviel nodded in thanks and continued serious:'With all of these information, we cannot simply say that Tohsaka didn't know about it, so he was accomplice of this attack, or even the planner'.

Then she pouted, looking at the two people who knew were smiling at her side, and said with an annoyed tone:

'But you probably knew that already, didn't you?'

The two usually outwardly emotionless people were now openly smirking at her, along with her Servant, whom amusement she could feel through the bond, and her two little sisters, actions which made her pout even more.

She was going to show her displeasure (mock displeasure) of the situation when the tablet, which Sella had given to her after looking at the tablet again she saw the last frame: the Servant vanishing under the barrage of weapons after that proud, regale voice spoke like killing Assassin was a chore.

'What a fearful enemy to have' she said with more than a bit of awe and fear to the other people who could hear.

Both Kiritsugu and Maiya nodded at her sides, probably like Sella and Leysritt did, then Kiritsugu talked with calm sureness:

'At least we now know that the vision Avenger had is sure, and can give a name to Tohsaka's Servant, Gilgamesh'

' _Oi, the prophecies the Force gives are right! The problem is understand them!'_ the annoyed voice of Avenger made itself known, but it was ignored by Saber, who added serious:

' _The increasingly problematic matter is how much frightening Gilgamesh is, and the fact that we don't have ways to counter her'_

' _Talk for yourself, Queenie! I could beat her with my eyes clos-EEEEE'_ the last letters were screamed, and from outside it was audible a loud engine noise.

That silliness was enough to make both hers and her family's mood go up and Kiritsugu himself, incredibly, was the one to put an end to the hypothesis with these words, said in a pretty light-hearted manner (as much as he was able to):

'Well, we can't build anymore on thoughts, we have already prepared as best as we could. Now all we can do is wait'.

Well, even if the saying said before the duty then the pleasure, but it could be done an exception today.

 _After all that duty would be the last they would have_

 _Galen's POV; several hours later; Fuyuki city_

 _*SCREEECH!* 'Faster, Maiya, faster!'_

' _Well, at least she is enjoying her date'_

There was something incredibly amusing in seeing the Grim Lord, an assassin from what he could assess, grasping the seats before him like a safe line, while his two wives were delighted in driving like they had a Rancor behind them.

Or at least he thought they were: the Dark Lady wasn't that much expressive, and he wasn't near enough to catch her emotions without doing it willingly, something he didn't want to do.

Oh well, he would continue to look from the roofs at the extremely interesting piece of life going on below.

No, he wasn't kidding at the interesting part, after all he didn't have a… calm life before this he hadn't ever seen one before.

Then a movement from a strange dressed law enforcer made him turn and jump in front of him just before he could use the radio on his bike, making said law enforcer yelp before Galen looked at him and, making a movement from left to right and using the Force, ordered:  
'You didn't see anything'

The man's eyes glazed and, with a toneless voice, he answered:

'I didn't see anything'

Galen smirked and, repeating the process, he commanded:

'And you will give me the password for the cameras of the city, if you can'

The man answered responded with a still toneless voce:

'I'm sorry, but I don't have the passwords'.

Galen's face lost its mirth when he nodded and, making the movement a last time, he dismissed the man:

'You will go away'

The man, still looking at nothing, answered:

'I will go away'.

Then he got on the bike and got away under Galen's gaze, who sighed and, crouching slightly, he jumped on the roofs again and, following the trace the bond gave, he was able in a few moments to return to observe this 'date'.

Then came a voice from his computer which made Galen smirk again:

' _Avenger, how is the situation in your view?'_

Galen smirk became wider and, with a teasing voice, he joked:

'Oh, Queenie, already missing me? I didn't know I had already warmed you-'

' _Finish that phrase, Rascal, and three feet of sword will be plunged into thy guts'_ by the tone used she would have followed her promise so Galen, still smirking, answered:

'Nothing more than some guards around, already hypnotized them. How are your quests going, o Queenie?'

Queenie, after a bunch of heavy breaths that he heard through the comlink to calm herself, probably, said:

' _I've done what my Master has asked for. I cannot realize why those 'Yakuzas' were so much surprised at the steed I was riding on or the one our Masters are using, but it only took a bit of my Charisma to make them hasten'_

Galen sweatdropped at the thought of how she had made them get to work quicker, but he let these thoughts for himself and instead said:

'Then go on and give them to the White Lady, it will cement the illusion that she is your 'Master''

' _I'm already thought about that, Avenger, thank you for the advice'_ replied Queenie, who, if his hearing was right, was nearing to them.

Galen then returned to guard upon the Ladies and the Lord, his senses in the Force expanding again in search of enemy 'Servants', and while he, jumping from roof to roof, guarded them he tried to activate his stolen 'Magic circuits'.

After a few moments and a lot of concentration he was able to open them and felt the force flow through them like it was molasses.

That was strange, when he first activated them it was like breathing for him. He would have to talk to Frosty about it because, even if obtained through methods he didn't like and he shouldn't have done, they were useful.

 _*SCREEECH* 'YEAAH!'_

… Did they really have to go at an hundred miles an hour while he was on foot?

So, a few minutes of insults to Force, Maws and Hutts he was able to stay behind the car, until there was a little matter;

There were no more building to jump at the end of that block, but there was his knight in shining armor just behind them, who had just the vehicle which could stand behind them.

So, after controlling that there were no witnesses, he jumped down the roofs.

On an unsuspecting Queenie.

After screaming on the comlink:'INCOMING!'

Such was the way of life, it seemed.

Just like it was the way of life when Queenie lost for a bit the control of the bike, risking to fall on the road, and, after retaking control, turned her head and berated Galen:

'What in His name are you doing, Avenger?! After you nearly stole my hearing you make me almost fall down?! What was your line of thought that made you take such an action?!'

'The fact that there were no more building to jump, Queenie! We are nearing a beach without houses or hotel around, and I'm not so good to jump tree to tree without falling so here I am!' shouted from behind her Galen, using his arms to stabilize by the hidden handles of the bike when Queenie, annoyed by the Jedi, soared her bike, which had as only result to make him smirk even more behind her.

After that last exchange they followed the car from behind without being too much conspicuous, like it was asked from them, to a beach.

So here they were, with the sun dying behind them and the moon nascent in front, while guarding three married people who were talking to each other in a romantic scene, while being watched by two legendary warriors like prey from hawks.

Never before had Galen felt more of a stalker than now.

And he had done is fair share of stalking.

So it wouldn't be seen as strange that the air between the two 'Servants' was… awkward.

One way to try to pass through this awkwardness could have been to start a discussion about their li-

'It's strange that something so selfish as love can be shared by people who wants from the Grail a totally selfless desire, don't you think, Avenger?'

-Or Queenie could be the one to break the ice. Oh well, now he only had to wing it:

'What do you mean by that, Queenie?' was the question made by Galen, who continued to look at the rising moon.

Queenie's eyebrow twitched a bit, but she continued like it was nothing:

'I mean that isn't it strange that three people so selfless to give a miracle to save humanity, miracle which could be used to gain treasures, power or even immortality, are so open with the idea of loving each other even when it will destroy them even after we win this War'.

Galen now turned towards her, his smirk forgotten, and asked curious:

'Why do you think that love is selfish?'

Que- Saber continued to look onward to the three spouses and, after a pause, she talked:

'It was for love that Sir Lancelot, the best of my knights and friend, lied in my wife Guinevre's bed. If it would have been only that then I would have accepted, even be happy for them, but they were discovered by the last who should have discovered them, and for that love my kingdom, which once was united and strong, divided itself between mine and Lancelot's followers, who was able to save her. This was one of the starting causes for my kingdom's fall'

Galen remained quiet after that.

He could have said teasingly 'So you look at that side' or other things, but instead he remained serious and, turning again towards the lovers in front of them, countered:

'Aren't you making an oversimplification of love?'

It was Saber's time to turn towards him curious and ask:

'Why do you say that, Avenger? Can you not see that?'

'Yes, I can' answered Galen.

He really could, he had seen the results of some 'loves' between Jedi which ended badly for one and then the other.

But-'But I was saved by it, so I can't say that it's only selfish'.

Saber turned to him and he took her silence as a assent to continue:

'I… didn't have any emotion before. I was a robot, a puppet in my master _s'_ plans, always ready to be used. Then she was the one to take me out of that path. When I was too prideful, she humbled me, when I was at my deepest, she was ready to help me, when I finally knew my own name, she was the first one I revealed it. Not my puppet master, not my true master, but _her_ , and thanks to her I was able to discard the greatest selfishness I wished to save others, and made the ideal of helping, not harming, mine'.

He made a grimace when he looked at the White Lady, and how exactly he had gained those 'Circuits' that still now were flowing of Force, but otherwise continued:'I'm still not able to reign my anger, but I'm trying. Still so far, but every step nearer; and after this War, my soul will be one with the Force, waiting for the one who I love. That is all thanks to that selfishness you call love' he ended, his face morphing into a smile.

Saber looked forward to the still rising moon, while the waves crashed on the shore and the scent of the sea made its entrance like fanfares and flowers, but otherwise remained silent, contemplative.

Then, after a few minutes she asked:

'Then what is for you the greatest selfishness if not love?'

Galen didn't move from his place. His face didn't change. His fingers, nose, eyes didn't move at the least. Only the lips moved, and a whisper got out:

' _Revenge'_

Galen didn't know what Saber was thinking at that moment: maybe she was thinking that he was right, or maybe that it was honourable to search for it. Maybe she was still lost in her own life.

In every case, she, like him, was taken back when a _wave_ made of Force invested them, making them turn towards north.

While he was reconnecting the other comlinks to the net, Sa-Queenie said calmly:

'It seems that a Servant is calling'

Galen nodded at her, then the deadly serious voice of the Grim Lord was heard by them through the comlink, removing all their doubts:

' _Saber, Avenger, understand exactly where it came from and follow it, we will be behind you'_

'Understood, Master'

'Roger that'

So, while the two 'Servants' got on the bike and raced to the direction of the ripple followed close by their 'Masters'' car, Galen tried to understand exactly how far it was searching superficially through the force, while having a map on his computer to make an assumption of the place it happened and asking Queenie if she knew how much farther it was:

'Queenie! How much do you think is the distance from the bastard who made the ripple!?'

In his way of asking, of course; and it was a testament of Queenie's self-control that the only used an harsher tone when she answered:

'I'm not the sorcerer of the two, I can only gauge the direction it came from!'

Understanding that Saber wouldn't be able to give any tip, Galen tightened his grip on the holds and informed the others through the comlink, his voice loud to beat the wind:

'Right! Please made sure that I don't fly off, I will try to give you an origin! Just say to the others the information I give you!'

Said so he closed his eyes and immersed in the Force.

…

For a moment, black.

Then-

' _Sonofabitch!'_

-it was like a turbolaser went off in front of his eyes and he immediately turned the other way, almost opening his eyes and breaking the concentration and _not_ almost cursing like a sailor at the _beacon_ of Force in front of him.

After a few moments, he could see the outlines of the trees in shades of grey, while at the centre a little flame, grey itself, burned faint.

Then he looked at his left arm, carefully avoiding the _beacon_ in front of him, where his stolen 'Circuits' were still flowing with the Force, each illuminated faintly with a reddish light and fading at each moment.

He willed the Force to flow through them but they didn't seem to illuminate much more, curious.

Then Galen rose his closed eyes, prepared this time to stand the beacon that was Queenie, who had a white fire inside of her that seemed to vanish all the greyness around.

A righteous fire, which showed the way to the blind.

A righteous voice, which uplifted the spirits of the deaf.

A righteous power, which destroyed all the darkness.

Something so _**disgustingly light that made him want to-!**_

 _There is no emotion_ _,_ _there is peace_ _._

Galen was able to stop that thought at the origin, stomping on it with trained self-control without any restraint, and looking using the fire in front of him to calm down.

These surges of Dark side becoming concerning, but now he had a bit more to do.

So he expanded his view, now looking at an expanded view, searching for the one who was baiting them.

Thankfully he was making those ripples, because if not he would have confused him for an agglomerate of people inside that city.

So, like a moth to the flame, he found him, and started saying with a flat tone what he saw:

' _He is standing upright, in the middle of the docks ten miles from here. He is a male, and from a point of his face come a strange feeling in the Force. He has two spears, and from both it comes a dark energy, unnatural and dangerous. I can't find his Master around'_

Said that Galen tried to use Structural analysis on the two weap-

*PAIN!*

Galen opened his eyes abruptly and grabbed his left arm, where he could feel a pain like a lightsaber cutting _in_ it, while he nearly fell out of the bike from the movement.

Oh, and he screamed like when he was being opened alive on the _Empirical_. It was that bad.

After a time which seemed an eternity he was able to subdue the pain and his senses returned to him.

'Why… did we… stop?' he asked, gasping for breath between words.

Queenie was at his side, looking into his eyes… no, his _eye_ , trying to understand if he was still there probably, and asked with a strange tone:

'You seemed in pain, Avenger, are you well?'

Galen snorted at that, amused that Queenie seemed concerned about him, but he answered, his breath starting to return normal:

'Well, other than the searing and horrible pain, I am well, I think'

'I will be the one to say that, Avenger' said with an iron tone a voice behind him, exactly when his left arm was grabbed, action which made him hiss in pain and turn angrily towards the White Lady.

White Lady who didn't even deign him of an apology, but only muttered one word, the Force flowing into her:

' **Diagnostik** '

…

 _White walls of snow were making her fall down, where the frozen death was greeting her. She didn't know how much time passed since the Head ordered her to go out to test her resistance, but her model wasn't made to resist temperature so low without any specific protection._

 _So she, Irisviel, homunculus made from the model of Justeaze, was terminating._

 _At least she found a strange sense of satisfaction that there would have been a successor for her mission and that this 'Magus Killer' would be able to give back to her creators the Heaven's Feel._

 _Then why, other than that satisfaction, did she feel another emotion?_  
 _She failed, so she deserved to terminate herself._

 _So why did she want to continue her operative life?_

 _Even with those thoughts it would be useless to try to understand now, after all she was deactivating._

 _Slowly, her eyes closed and all that was left was the noise of the blizzard._

 _Then she heard the sound of steps on the snow, then she was lift._

 _She could only hear some muffled words, but she knew exactly how she felt._  
 _Warm._

…

Galen opened his eyes.

'Okay, what in the Maws was that?'

He had an headache which made said head _want_ to be _in_ the Maws. Along with his legs which were more than a bit stuck. Along with his neck, which wanted so much to know who had the genial idea to put a six feet man in the backseat of a car.

And all along with his arm, which… didn't hurt anymore?

'Oh, hello Starkiller you have woken up!' exclaimed the White Lady, looking at him with a mirror under the roof of the car.

Galen froze.

The White Lady froze.

The person who was driving the car only sighed and, with a voice that Galen recognized as the Dark Lady, murmured in an amused tone:

'Irisviel-sama, Avenger, could you wait until after we have gone against Lancer and then make your amusing quarrel? Or at least wait until I am not around, I don't want to die a painful death at the hand of an allied Servant'.

And with that the tension that the writer tried to carefully pull up was completely destroyed, obliterated, vanished, replaced by two idiots looking at the now emotionless looking woman.

At least she had burned to ashes the misunderstanding at the beginning, making the writer write much less.  
Galen was the first to retake himself and, sitting upright, he asked calmly, his confusion and terror buried under his calm façade:

'All right, how do you know my code name?'

The White Lady shook herself and then she explained scientifically:

'When I did my diagnostic mystery to know what had happened to you, I had to make us share some memories to weaken the natural magic resistance. The problem was that you as a Servant have a much sturdier one and it caused us to share more than a simple memory and while I am used that sometimes the memories shared are more and deeper than what I thought, you weren't ready and, along with the pain of your _circuits burning you from the inside_ ' Galen was sure that in those last words there was a reprimanding tone, but he let the White Lady continue:'you had the sudden exchange of memories that went within you and the first prana exchange from the bond made you black out'.

Uh, well that was the explanation of one part, but Galen wanted to know another thing much more:

'What memories did we share?'

The White Lady turned at him with a serious expression, but when she started moving her mouth a The Grimm Lord's voice came from the comlink in his computer:

' _We are almost at the docks, Saber is sure that whom Avenger described as Lancer is still there. Lets stop at the next parking lot and prepare ourselves. Avenger, you go scout, while me and Maiya will go on our sniping positions. Saber, Irisviel, you are on the ground, and Saber remember that Irisviel is your Master, and pay attention that it's possible that he has two noble phantasms. Avenger, try to not show any familiarity with Saber nor Irisviel, and present yourself as Caster_ _._ _A non traditional Servant could be ground for a quest by the Overseer, and this would mean six Servants against you and Saber. Use the bonds to communicate but in extreme cases use the communication devices, until then radio silence. Over'_.

Galen bit back an imprecation at the bad timing, but toned down the dread and anger and asked with a calm tone and a false smile at the White Lady:

'We will talk about this later, White Lady?'

The White Lady nodded and said childishly:

'Yes, I think it's for the better, _buut_ I want to know more about my Servant, so cross on your heart!'

Galen looked at her surprised but, with his smile becoming a bit more sincere, he made the cross and then jumped on the roofs, his mood bettered.

 _After all if she could joke she couldn't have seen his rotten self._

 _Irisviel's POV; the same time; Fuyuki's docks_

' _How can one who is so much carefree have such a sorrowful past?'_

Irisviel had seen a part of Stark-Avenger's past.

Now she could understand why did he say that those 'Sith' were so much fearsome, if he was an example of them.

Practically a walking one man army slaughtering his way to his targets, one people army even them, and fighting against them, leaving none of them alive.

One part of her, the motherly part of her, her very _soul_ felt for the young man who had to do that, and was happy to know that he chose another path.

A tiny, extremely small part of her was a bit afraid of the darkness within her Servant, but she knew that he wouldn't go all 'Dark Lord, possessor of the whole magically Britain' like that Voldemort.

The other part of her, well…

Was just thinking of how much awesome her Servant was.

Really! A Servant who is a Caster, an Assassin, a Saber, a Berseker and even a Rider combined! How much cool is it!

*Cough* *Cough*

Now it wasn't the best time to think about it, after all they had just stepped in the docks, so Irisviel started concentrating herself to find traces of the Servant.

So she had to close her eyes and, with her circuits still slightly burning in her, she muttered an Aria, the prana pumping in her hears:

' **Ich höre die Quelle (I hear the source)!** ' ( **An: I apologise to every german speaking reader for the probably horrible use of their language, please write if it's right or not** )

There were some Magi who were able to see the source of prana.

There were other who could smell it.

Her husband could feel Magecraft's usage through the heat he felt.  
She… well she could hear the source of the prana usage, and her mystery let her expand this sense, even if she could risk her hearing with it.

Being a Magus was truly walking with Death.

But she had the mastery and the control to now _hear_ the very _souls_ of the other magically active, both in the Thaumurgy and Wizardry spectres, as symphonies.

And now she only had to isolate them.

The nearest symphony, Saber's one, was hopeful, strong, and it was like a voice which was standing before an army with an heart of courage.

She decided to stop hear it and it was no more.

The other powerful symphony which she could hear was coming from… inside her? From her bond? But it was _powerful,_ more powerful than Saber's one, and every time a corps of archs was heard, every time a trombone showed itself, every time the lone violin remained strong and heard, she could feel the _power_ behind it.

She stopped hearing that too, and only one last symphony remained close to them.

A sorrowful song, melancholic symphony, yet full of hope like the sun behind the clouds.

Like a strange Swan Lake slower and sadder.

And it was right in front of her.

She opened her eyes and saw a male Servant standing before them.

He was tall, around Star-Avenger's height, with much more visible muscles than Avenger under a strange green armour (which was very strangely to spandex), black hair with a long strand going down in the middle of his yellow eyes.

And he had two spears in his hands, as Avenger had said, which were his noble phantasms and showed himself to be the Lancer of this War.

And then, when she looked at his face, she felt dizzy for a moment but she immediately was able to recover herself.

But she was able to understand what was happening, and she voiced that understanding with irritation tinting her tone but without showing her knowledge:

'It's not very nice to try to try to bewitch a married woman with Magecraft, Servant'

The Servant smiled a bit ruefully and said in a courteous manner:

'I apologise for the perceived slight made by myself, Master of the Heroine in front of me, but it wasn't my intention to enchant you to my bidding. But if my Love spot would have troubled the warrior before him it would greatly sadden me, but I will in every case fight you and win, Servant of this Master'.

… A bit too much courteous for her taste.

Saber only looked at him and rebutted regally, while Irisviel used her Master's sight to absorb the stats of the Servant in front of them:

'It would stain my honour and the honour of my nation to be distracted by such an underhanded trick, Lancer'

Lancer smiled a bit more broadly and asked with a tint of amusement:

'Oh? You catch me unguarded, Heroine, as you know my Class but I don't know yours, but before we fight, could you answer my question? I would like to know how you were able to discern my own Class, if you could answer to it without endangering the loyalty of you Master'

'Pay attention Saber' added Irisviel, having finished to discover the Servant's stats:'he is much faster than you, has your strength but on the other fields he is worse than you'.

Saber nodded in thanks and summoned her own armour, which she had seen when she was sparring with S-Avenger, and refused with a shook of her head:

'I apologise, but we are now at war with each other, and it would be foolish on my part to give you critical information. Now lets fight each other, and that the honour and glory of this battle shall be written on the history of this War!' at the last words she summoned her invisible sword in her right hand and started running towards Lancer.

Lancer grinned feral and rushed himself towards his foe, the spears in his hands glinting with an ominous reddish and golden light under the streetlights of the docks.

And, when the two Heroes encountered in the middle of their charges, the strength behind both the Servants was so much that the concrete under them broke.

Then the two warriors continued their fight, both their charges being stopped by the other's, and what she saw was the pinnacle of the skill a human could reach.

But that didn't stop Irisviel from being concerned about Saber.

After all she had to pay attention to two Noble Phantasms instead of one.

' _I don't think that Queenie will have many problems if that 'Lancer' continues to use that style, White Lady'_ Irisviel heard St-Avenger's opinion about the fight, which made her curious and ask:

' _Why do you think so, S-Avenger?'_

Why did she continue to stumble upon the name?!

' _If you want to use my code name you can, White Lady'_ the calm voice of Avenger reassured her and made her smile minutely at the faith he was showing her.

But he didn't answer her question!

' _Okay, why do you think so, Starkiller?'_

' _Look at how wide are the attacks made by 'Lancer'_ replied Starkiller, words which made her look more attentively at the fight in front of her.

' _While Queenie can put much more strength behind her strikes thanks to two handed grip, 'Lancer' has an handicap in the form of having a two weapons style, which pretty much halven the strength behind every hit he is able to make, along with the leverage effect of having a long weapon and a distant grip which make much more difficult to even control the enemy'_

' _But if this is all, couldn't he use one of the spear to block Saber's sword and then poke her with the other?'_ asked Irisviel, finding a way through which Lancer could win:

' _Yeah, he could. If he wasn't using two spears to do it, that is'_ answered Starkiller, his voice a bit annoyed at the end.

' _Why are the spears the problem?'_ asked Irisviel, trying to understand the reason for which the spears aren't good to do it.

' _Because the spear isn't a close range weapon like a sword, which blade is sharp in all its length unlike the spear, which is pointy only in the end. So the movement one has to make are wider, and with a two weapons style it makes trying to block a sword and attack with the other as useless as a man's nipple, and makes someone slow as Bantha'_ said Starkiller, and, after a moment when she was reflecting on the words, he added:

' _Like now'_

When Irisviel returned to look at the two fighters she found them looking one the other, their faces stony while staring at each other, preparing to resume the fight.

Then, from a tiny cut on Lancer's cheek, a drip of blood trailed down.

Lancer tsked and wiped it away with one hand, while Saber broke her calm façade and quipped:

'It seems like your love spot wasn't able to sway me, Lancer. Your ability to sway women is above your ability with your spears, than this bout will be mine'

Lancer returned to look at her, then with a grin he let the yellow spear fall on the ground, making Saber rise a brow and ask:

'Are you sure in wasting one of your Noble Phantasms in such a way? It was with that weapon that your legend was written, after all'

Lancer looked again at Saber with surprise on his face, then his eyes turned towards Irisviel and said intrigued:

'It seems that your Master is more insightful than what I thought previously if she is able to discern my weapons. You were lucky to find such a Master, Saber, like you are lucky to have such a weapon'

'No more words should be uttered until the end of our duel, Lancer. This is a War, not a symposium!' declared hardly Saber, trying to steer the conversation from her.

Lancer grinned again and shouted:

'Here I come, Saber'.

Like a green lightning he was before Saber, the red blood spear poised to strike her head on if she didn't block it with her invisible sword.

Strong gust of wind were brought into life when the two blades encountered one another, making Irisviel shield herself from them and mentally screaming at Starkiller:

' _What's happening!?'_

' _It seems like Pretty Boy is using the lever effect in his advantage this time. He seems to be as strong as Queenie, and much faster too. It could be a big problem for her'_ answered Starkiller calmly, not really understanding what she was questioning for, but what he said let her calm down and think, while the two Servants in front of her continued their fight, then she asked:

' _Starkiller, can you do the same thing you did before to know about Lancer? To understand what his Noble Phantasms are?'_

Lancer was able to understand the length of Saber's sword, and now redoubled his attacks.

' _No, I can't'_ was the curt response, which was followed by _: 'I don't know if there are other Servants around and, if I start meditate, I could become a beacon like Pretty boy down there. Not something that I want to become when I can't react as usual'_.

Irisviel hummed, her eyes not straying away from the fight, but her mind was whirling through all the myths she had studied.

The only things she had as clues were the love spot with average bewitching ability and two spears, both of which under Starkiller words gave off a 'bad vibe'.

Not a lot, but something.

Then her husband's voice came through the device, while both the Servants were lightened by Excalibur's light, and what he said nearly made her gasp:

' _I have Lancer's master on sight, but I can't take the shot'_

' _Why? Problems with the gun? I can take care of him now'_ asked Starkiller with a tone so curious that she nearly didn't hear the 'taking care of the enemy Master''s part.

' _Negative. There is an Assassin hovering on us. I don't think that it will attack us if I don't do anything, but don't attack for now'_.

 _This_ made her gasp, and Saber, knowing that her Master was in danger, lost her footing for a moment.

That moment was enough for Lancer to make a wound on her right side and to retreat again, out of the reach of her sword.

Saber touched the wound with her hand and then retracted it, showing that it was bloodied.

But the armour didn't have a scratch!

' _Starkiller, your thoughts?'_ asked Irisviel in a rushed tone

' _Or Pretty Boy's spear is able to go through every armour, or there is something that I can't understand. And now we have an Acolyte hovering over the Grim Lord, so now I have to pay attention to the fucker'_

' _Splendid'_ ended Irisviel, who said immediately after that to Saber, her tone serious:

'Saber, I am going to heal you, could you let me pass through the Magic Resistance?'

'Yes, if you would Master' answered curtly Saber, and Irisviel instantly chanted, her Circuits burning in her flesh:

' **Ich** **fühle deinen Schmerz (I share your pain)!'**

Irisviel suddenly felt a sharp, burning pain at her side, like she herself was harmed, but put on a brave front and only her mouth twitched at the pain; when she felt that the wound was healed she smiled, happy at her success.

Saber turned a bit towards her and, nodding, she thanked her:

'I'm extremely thankful for your help, Master'

Then Saber took her stance again and glared at Pret- Lancer in front of her, who stopped smirking and took his stance himself.  
But, when the two warriors were going to begin their bout again, a booming voice made itself known around them:

' _ **Lancer, why are you taking so much time to take care of Saber?'**_

Pre-(damn you Starkiller!)-Lancer stopped and, his face morphing into a 'what-can-you-do' expression, he said with a subservient tone:

'I profusely apologise, my Lord, but it seems that my foe is much more skilful than what I thought, and the honour of this battle has made me lose sight on your goal'

' _ **Don't waste any more time on this little game, Lancer! Use your Noble Phantasms to destroy the enemy Servant!'**_ ordered the Master imperiously, a vein of disgust into the tone he used.

'It shall be done, my lord' answered the Servant in a, if possible, even more subservient tone, then, turning towards Saber, he said:

'It seems that I can no longer hold back against you, Saber'

'Oh, I shall not grieve about it, Lancer' replied Saber with a secure tone, which became more amused when she added:' But shouldn't you use your other spear too, Lancer? After all a spear able to injure someone and render the injured unable to cure himself is extremely useful'

Lancer looked at her with clear surprise on his face, and asked with an equal surprise:

'How were you able to know about the power of Gàe Buidhe?'

Irisviel wasn't able to see Saber's reaction to Lancer's astonishment, but she heard her (smug) tone when she answered:

'It was just an hunch that I had, coupled with the stories I heard during my life, your Love spot, the damage done by your spear, which went through my armour like it wasn't there but cut the suit underneath that made me suspect about your identity, but the name of your spear makes me shed away any doubt about your name, _Diarmuid ua Duibhne, son of Donn and knight of the Fianna_ '

Irisviel would normally be in awe of Saber's cleverness, but in that moment she was remembering a series of information which she studied about the Irish hero, while the Grail gave her the datas about the Servant and along with those things she tried to remember if there were relics around about this hero and who had them.

There was… an old piece of a lance possessed by… the Sophia-ri family if she wasn't wrong, along with tens of other artefacts.

That made the Servant connected with Sola-ui, fiancé of Kayneth Archibald.

And that made the voice that was talking to them that Lord Archibald.

But now she had another matter at hand, being the information given to her about the Servant in front of her by the Grail.

They weren't good news.

At all.

'Eye of the mind B, Knightly tactics B, Magic resistance B, the Love Spot, able to bewitch every woman who looks at it, Gàe Daerg, Crimson Rose of Exorcism, a spear able to go through every magical defence and Gàe Buidhe, the Yellow Rose of Mortality, which inflicts incurable wounds. If your master plays his cards right he could win this war almost effortlessly' said Irisviel to Lancer with her Mago tone, not letting any emotion tinge her speech, her eyes hard and cold.

'I aim to impress, milady. But I think I have gotten your name too, Saber' said Lancer, an easy-going smile on his face and his eyes glinting with mirth.

' _I am much more amazed at Queenie's finding out the name of Pretty Boy so quickly_ ' said Starkiller through the bond, his tone impressed.

'Oh? I thought that I had hid my identity well, it would be interesting to know your thoughts about it'

' _I don't know if it's thanks to that 'Grail', but in every case now we have the lead in this 'War', now knowing the name of two 'Serv-'_ then he stopped abruptly.

'Your gender had initially mislead me from discovering your name, but masquerading of your sword and its blinding lights are the things which made my mind light up in confirmation, but your mannerism and the way you spoke about my legend, saying that you knew it in your life, make me name you as the _King of knights, the Once and Future King of Britain, Arth-_ '

' _Big powerful object incoming from the sky, up from the sea!'_

At that moment she heard what could only be described as a thunderstorm, along with this war cry:

' _ **ULALALALALALALALALALALA!'**_

Then came into sight the unburdened noise hell which was a chariot.

A big chariot.

A big chariot, pulled by two bulls, which sprouted randomically lightings around it.

A big chariot, pulled by two bulls, which sprouted randomically lightings around it with a shivering young man on it, who was gripping like his life depended on it (and it probably _did_ ) on a much bigger man, who was openly grinning at them and, with even his brown eyes seemingly grinning, he shouted:

'My name is Alexander, King of Conquerors! I am participating in this War under the Rider's class!'

…

What?

'Rider, you moron! What the bloody hell are you doing!' screamed the young man, his black eyes showing the complete disarray he felt, while gripping tightly the red mantle the bulky Servant was wearing, but he continued like he didn't hear anything:

'You are slaughtering each other to obtain the Grail! To obtain your dream! And I, as a King, respect and value this ambition!'

'But before you engage each other again let me make a question'

'I don't know what are your ambitions, but I know of your valour, of your glory, of your honour'

'So I want to know: are your ambitions so important beside the dominance upon the earth, the seas and the heavens themselves? Would you really leave such a prize for only a dream?'

…

…

What?

'What madness are you spouting, Rider?' asked Saber, only her eyes, now pointing at the red haired Servant, showing an ounce of annoyance in them:

'Wasn't I clear enough?' asked the Servant, rubbing his red beard with his hand; then, with his grin still in place he said, his voice strong and deep:

'I ask you to come with me. I ask you to follow me at my side. I ask you to forfeit the Grail and to conquer this world, together, as companions, equal, friends. This is what I ask you, my companions. This is what I want you to ponder about, my equals. This is the dream I want to follow together, my friends'.

…

…

…

WHAT?!

' _I like this guy'_ said an amused Starkiller through the bond.

 _WHAAAAAA-_

 _Galen's POV; at that moment; Fuyuki's docks_

 _There is something deeply funny at hearing a surprised Queenie._

Galen was hearing the scene in the Jedi armour he had dressed himself in, after understanding that he could do it when seeing Saber summoning her armour on the fly.

 _Extremely_ funny.

Before the summoning he only had Kota to joke on, and he was _Kota_.

 _Psyco, macho, Jedi Master, master tactician and strategic, charismatic_ Kota.

Usually one or two jokes and he was in serious danger for his life.

The other one was _PROXY._

 _PROXY._

And lets not talk about Juno.

She was the one to tease, not him. When she wasn't pissed at him.

Then she was the one to _fire_ at him.

And that's when they weren't in mission. So… only during the jumpings in Hyperspace.

And now, after he had _died_ , he was finally able to let himself out with an unsuspecting target.

Plus, the bets weren't really that high.

Yes, that woman said that this planet would be destroyed, and yes, this Grail screamed 'danger' like a Sith artefact.

But he was used to missions which could change the politics of the entire _Galaxy_ , against a regime which controlled said Galaxy, with minimal means and maximum dangers.

So a planet danger, with much more means than usual (not 'I want this Jedi/Dark Jedi/mercenary/political leader dead, do it without any help, you will probably die bla bla bla'), allies able to be on the ground with him and divided enemies, wasn't so worrisome.

And then there were such gems like this, like a 'King' who asked his enemies to become his allies.

Alas, if only there wasn't that fucking Crow perched on a roof looking at the Grim Lord, with blowing tattered mantle behind him and a skull mask.

 _Eeeeevil._

At least he could hear what they were saying:

'I admire your… daring, O King of Conquerors, but I can't accept your proposal' that was Pretty Boy's voice, filled with a sort of sadness, which became grim resolve when he continued:'But I will lift the Grail, and give it to my present Lord. This is my ambition, and no one will sway me from doing this. Not even you'.

Well, he took it well.

'Did you pause our duel for this idiocy, Rider?'

Well, she didn't take it well by her angry demand.

She probably was having a tick on her brow right now.

Damn you, Crow!

'Are you offering some starting terms? It could be extremely useful to start negotiations, if you could?' asked the 'Servant'.

'Are you still joking about it, Alexander the Great? Did you insult our honour, King of Conquerors? If so, you are tarnishing not only my honour as a knight, along with the honour of Lancer, but even my station as the King of Britain myself. Choose your next words well' those words were said with so much venom that Galen was pretty impressed by it.

'…Are you sure about your rejection?' asked again Rider, disregarding completely the venom.

''ENOUGH!'' shouted both the 'dishonored ones', extremely annoyed, which made Galen extremely amused.

'Ah well, I tried' said with a mournful tone… Zappy? Nah. Lighty? No. Jolty? Yeah, it works. Said with a mournful tone Jolty.

'But' continued Jolty, and he could _hear_ the grin on his lips:'I can't help but be surprised by your appearance, King of Knights. I didn't expect a young girl to be the such a known figure'.

Ooooh! Low shot!

'And would you like mine sword in thine guts, King of Conquerors?' demanded Queenie, her voice threatening and severe.

And the old accent, how Galen was hating the Crow for not making him see the scene!

'Riiiideeer!' came a pained, whiny voice from approximately Jolty's position, who he identified as Jolty's 'Master', who would be called Youngling:'Now what?! Talking again and again about conquest, and now two Servants dislike you! Do you really think that you can beat Saber and Lancer!?'

'The actions speak louder than words, don't they? So with my actions the other Heroes shall follow me!' shouted boisterously Jolty, his words followed by an hearty laugh.

' _ **Oh? So it is you, of all the people'**_

Hm?

Pretty Boy's 'Master' continued to talk, while Galen continued to observe the Crow perched on the roof.

' _ **I thought that one of my rivals had paid you to steal the Relic for their own ends in this war, but I find**_ **you** _ **here. I'm surprised by you courage, Waver Velvet'**_ continued the 'Master' with a sickly sweet tone.

He didn't like that tone, it made him remember of old men and their ambitions.

That voice continued his monologue, even when Galen could feel the fear coming from the Youngling, so much that it was:

' _ **Your courage is, unfortunately both for you and me, the only thing which is not mediocre in your person. Someone as average as you should deserve a calm and stable life, but alas you are here, at the most important ritual ever created. But I want to give you your last lessons, as a remembrance of our relation as a master to an apprentice'**_

The Youngling gulped, and his fear grew a thousand times, while the Hidden 'Master' continued to talk, his sweet voice tainted with sadism:

' _ **I will give you the true meaning of the battle between Magis: the pain, the terror and the killing itself, and after that I will use your body to help my own studies. You should be proud that you will be finally be useful for the betterment of Magecraft, Waver Velvet'**_.

The sheer terror that Galen felt from the young man made him feel genuinely for him, but then that terror vanished and Jolty's voice, the same voice which did those amusing claims, talked:

'Even if you were supposed to be my Master instead of this one, that thought is beyond ridiculous. The man who deserves to be my Master should be a warrior who rides with me in the battlefield, someone who will have experience with me of the strife of battle, not a coward who doesn't even dare to show his face, like an assassin in the night'

A spike of anger made Galen look for a moment at the roof where the 'Master' should have been, but the next words said by Jolty in an even more, if possible, bold way made him return to listen:

'Now I say: come out, friends that hides in the night! Come out, allies who prefer to listen and see instead of be part of History! Come out, my warriors, if you don't want your name to be associated forevermore with cowardice and to avoid the humiliation that I, Alexander the Great, King of Conquerors, Victor of countless battlefields, will give you!'

…

…

Oh well, he will be called coward, no sweat.

' _How did that fool conquer the known world again?'_ asked the Grim Lord through the comlink, the volume low enough for only him to hear, with an incredulity that made Galen almost laugh here and then.

But the sudden ripples in the Force made him not laugh and whip his head to the top of a street pole, where a golden light came.

And now on top of that pole there was a beautiful woman, with-

 **(Readers: NOPE, I WILL NOT REREAD THAT DESCRIPTION!)**

 **(AN:But it has passed six months since the last-)**

 **(Readers NOPE NOPE NOPE! It took fifty thousand words to reach the docks fight! I will not reread that purple prose of a description!)**

 **(AN*Sigh*)**

There was silence, and then, after a few moments, the woman talked with a melodious voice:

'I didn't expect there would be two fools who would have the hubris to call themselves king in my presence and _then_ dare to ignore me'

'You are mistaken' answered Jolty, his words measured and calm:'I, Alexander the Great, am well known throughout the world as the King of Conquerors, and-'

'Fool' cut in the woman, her voice not angered or irritated, but annoyed:' _I_ 'm the only hero in Heaven, Earth and Underworld who is a real King. Those who dare take that title are nothing more than a collection of mongrels'

'If you truly believe so, if truly your legend is so much above ours, if truly you are so much more powerful than us, if you are not ashamed of your legend, could you announce yourself?' asked Jolty, his voice calm like his face, which didn't betray any emotion at the insult.

The woman only glared at Jolty, her lips making a tiny snarl while her eyes shone with anger, then she said, her voice only tinted slightly with anger:

'How dare you contradict your king, mongrel? Even after I granted you the honour of my own presence between you posers who roll in the shadow of my own legend?'

Was he wrong or in that moment she was looking at him?

'Now all of you bow before your kings, both the dogs in the light and the mongrel in the dark, and pray that I do not execute you for your folly!' shouted the woman, her red eyes becoming slits while behind her two golden ripples opened, like in his vision, with two weapons, an axe and a spear, going out.

And pointing at him.

She was looking at him.

Shit.

' _Grim Lord, do I have to wait to be skewered by a freaking rain of pointy metal or can I go down and say 'fuck you' to her face?'_ he said in the comlink with a certain urgency, given by the fact that he could see that the lady was becoming slightly trigger happy.

'… _Do it, but remember to present yourself as a Caster if you have to. Use your other weapon only as a last reserve, even if we know that Kotomine is allied with Tohsaka'_ _._

So no lightsaber and only the Force to help him, against someone who threw swords like confettis and was probably his natural enemy?  
 _A piece of cake._

With his lips morphed into a grin, he jumped down from the roof he was perched and, with the grace of a Rancor, he _slammed_ on the ground, the Force blowing away the remaining dust from Queenie's and Pretty boy's fight, his hood covering his head with the abrupt shock.

Then he straightened himself and do not anger the one able to make him become more metal than flesh for how much swords there would be in him.

So with a mocking bow, he greeted the woman in front of him, his tone equally mocking:

'I salute you, O _great_ king Gilgamesh, and I answer to your _kind_ calling'

Damn him and his tongue.

He could hear gasped breaths behind him, along with a growl and a chocked noise mixed coming from Queenie surely, but the woman in front of him didn't even blink, in fact she didn't react outwardly.

But her weapons reacted.

Oh how much they reacted.

Maybe they reacted a bit too much for his tastes, even after he knew what they would do.

In fact they were thrown at him with a speed comparable to missiles, and probably with the same lethality.

Galen only waited until the weapons were in front of him and then, with the Force flowing in him, he _pushed_ in front of him with his left hand.

It worked, at least.

How much he would have paid to be able to look behind him, when the only reaction he got from the woman, whom from now on name shall be Blondie for how much he was annoyed at her reaction, was a raised brow along with the two weapons vanishing in golden dust before even reaching half of the distance between the target.

So now, to make her lose her composure and show something more of her abilities than _throwing_ swords what had he to do more than insult her?

Attack her and risk to show too much of his abilities and make him vulnerable to that kind of powerful ranged attacks that he was _painfully_ aware of not being the best at taking care of.

'I would prefer that my serfs do not use my name so familiarly, even more so after they failed to answer to my call, but your interesting way of deflecting my treasures has made me decide to not destroy you upon your folly, if you do not use my name but the titles you used. Now that you posers and mongrels are down there, bow to me, and I will show mercy when taking my treasure by right' said the woman with a regal tone, like she was giving a pardon for even existing.

But for Galen that was a bit more an insult than a pardon.

More a 'I killed your father, raped your mother and girlfriend, piss on everything you have done and slayed your puppy' kind of insult.

'I, King Arturia Pendragon, in the name of the Kingdom of Britain, salute you King of Uruk and the First of heroes, Gilgamesh, and hope that our battle shall be sung when the one better shall win the Grail, and you too, Caster' said Queenie in her regal tone from behind him, trying to not anger the _bitch_ and to not show any knowledge about him, but Galen didn't pay attention to anything else but his own anger at the _bitch_ who was staring at him, the only sign of been angered by the comment of the _bitch_ being his hands clenching into fists.

How dared she?

How dared this _fucking bitch_ to call him a _**slave**_ _!_

 _There is no passion, there is serenity._

'I am known as Diarmuid ua Duibhne, knight of the Love Spot, and in the name of my Lord I greet you, King of Heroes' said in a courteous way Pretty boy to the Bi- to Blondie, who wasn't diverting her stare to anyone but him and didn't even deign of an answer the two greetings before.

'Oh? Then I shall offer my greetings as well to our new foes in this War, and I offer to you both the same pact that I previously gave to these valiant warriors: join me in the conquest of this world, and together we shall drink in the sweet cup of victory!' boasted Jolty, his voice thunderous and passionate, while Galen, after a bit of tries, was able to calm down.

Probably Blondie wasn't even trying to insult him, and she was used to be deferred if the few things he read about her were right.

But that comment had hit a bit too near home for him to remain calm.

Inhale…Exhale…

'If you think that I will ever bow to the level beneath those of the Heavens themselves, then you are more of a fool then I thought before' replied Blondie in the end, her tone prideful, while her eyes continued to stare into Galen, waiting for something.

…oh hell, was she waiting for him to present himself?

Again?!

' _Starkiller, I think it would be better that you present yourself in a more…respectful way. I don't want you to start a fight against Gilgamesh. It would be the spark for a fight so big that this city could be razed to the ground in hours'_ said with a soothing tone the White Lady through the bond, probablynoticing how much he was _pissed_ at Blondie.

Galen continued to stare back at Blondie for some moments, then, sighing, he answered back through the bond serious:

' _I will try, but I will not say even my code name to them. I want to explain to you and the others before they even catch wind of it'_ _._

Then, closing his eyes and making an expression like he was sucking a lemon, Galen greeted Blondie in his driest and droidiest tone:

'I, Servant Caster, respectfully greet you, Servant Archer'

He could hear the sound of a slap behind him, but _that_ was as much respect he was able to give now to someone who acted as a _Force fucking_ bitch.

Blondie's golden brow twitched, while her red eyes looked at him un-amused and she stomped her foot, shutting off the light she was on, and then she talked, with her tone equally annoyed:

'How dare you, a serf, a coward and a liar, show disrespect in front of me!' two ripples opened behind her, while her tone became more enraged at every word:'How dare you to not bend your knees in front of me, you who dared to fight me!' four, six, eight, ten:'How dare you not say your name, when even the mongrels behind you named themselves!' fourteen, eighteen, twenty two:'How dare you lie about who you are, saying that you are something that you aren't!' twenty six, thirty, thirty four…

'Now' declared the woman with a furious voice, her eyes blazing with anger while tens of golden ripples behind her showed an equal number of weapons:'have you more words before I destroy you?'

The day after Galen would say that what happened was all for taking more information and to gain more advantage in the sure upcoming fight against one of his natural enemies, because of 'tactical disadvantage against powerful long range attacks'.

The _real_ reason wasn't ever uttered, but it was so much clear that when he gave that excuse even _Queenie_ would look at him with a not-so-hidden smile.

In every case, these were the words used when he answered, all said with a peaceful tone which didn't betray the passion which burned inside him:

'You call me a serf, a _slave,_ when I fought my masters and I was able to give hope to an entire galaxy, and when you lorded over people with an iron fist, slave of your own desires'

He tried to remain serein, when the anger crushed like waves inside him:

'You call me a coward, when I fought against opponents over your own comprehension, and when you tried to run from your own natural death through treachery'

He tried to bring order in the chaos which was his soul:

'You call me a liar, when you over all of us here and now are lying, saying that there aren't shadows ready to eat over our bodies'.

Then, when a faint balance was gained, his voice stopped, while his brown eyes continued to stare at Gilgamesh with judgement, with a scent of amusement at her anger, but not without a last verse, said with a visible smirk:

'And how can you call yourself a king, when the warriors behind me had more valour and strength than you, who is only able to throw weapons like a child?'

For some moments there was only silence, then some suffocated laughter was heard from behind which was rapidly stopped by Gilgamesh's glare, who then, with a snarl on her lips and glazing red slitted eyes, talked, her tone more than furious:

'From what you have said, you will die now, Mongrel. This is the edict of Gilgamesh, the True King'

Uh. It would seem like the answer had changed from the vision to now.

But it was only a passing curiosity, drowned by his own blood singing at the coming fight despite his control, which only left him to do one more joke before the fight:

'Oi, King of Britain. Is there something wrong in being called 'Queen' or is it some idiosyncrasy present in all the rulers?'

'DIE!' shouted Gilgamesh, the weapons behind her following the order.

So Galen, with a deadly storm of sharp weapons going down to him to degut him, did the most normal thing everyone in this case would do:

He smiled maliciously, his teeth showing, let the Force flow fully inside and outside him and shouted with an excited tone:

'LET'S GET THE MAYEM STARTED!'

Then came a black blur to knock all the weapons off.

…

…

SCREW YOU!

In front of him there was a black armoured knight, with a long dark blue comb and six… tails? Coming down from his back; he was tall, taller than him, and a red light came out from the visor of the helm.

But what startled Galen the most were the raw thoughts coming from the knight

 _PAINRAGESORROWREGRETHATREDANGERBETREYALPUNISHMENTPUNISHEMENTPUNISHMENT!_

It was enough to nearly break the frail balance he was in, but with an iron will he was able not Fall, making the cacophony fade in the background of his senses, and instead he helped his new ally, deviating the greatest portion of the weapons possible from the line of fire along with the dust, making sure that nothing passed towards the other 'Servants' and above all to the White Lady, while the Mad knight in front of him took the ones which passed through his telekinetic abilities.

It was a strange dance between the two, a cooperation which couldn't be more improvised, but it worked.

Galen noted that when the knight took a weapon it became black with red cracks coming down from the whole length, which didn't vanish when he used them to counterattack unlike what happened with him every time he deviated the projectiles, which then came back to be used by Gilgamesh.

Gilgamesh too seemed to have noticed it, since, while her snarl became even more pronounced and her eyes seemed to be even more luminescent in the dark, she stopped her rain of swords, letting Galen take a breath, and her next word confirmed it:

'How dare you dirt my treasures, mongrels! Do you want to be slayed that badly, you curs!'

'Incredible' said Pretty Boy from behind them, while behind Gilgamesh even more ripples appeared:'A Berseker still able to use his abilities with weapons and a Caster able to use Magecraft without any Aria. While I expected that the first Hero would be an impressive foe, I didn't expect so many powerful foe to be against me. There is much honour to be won in this war'

'Oi, boy, what are the stats of Caster and Berseker?' asked Jolty, his tone serious, while Galen looked beside him at the black armoured ally, who was still gripping an axe in one hand and a sword in the other.

Galen then felt a minuscule tug behind his head, which was immediately and automatically fought back, like it happened in the Castle two days before, and, after a few moments, he heard the voice of Youngling, who talked with a confused tone:'…I… can't get anything from the Sight…'

'So they both have a Noble Phantasm able to divert the knowledge of their abilities. Impressive' ended Jolty, his tone both awed and serious.

Galen, at the same time, while Gilgamesh was preparing even more ripples, this time reaching the hundred, whispered to his makeshift ally:

'If we remain here we will be overwhelmed. I will make her fall and stay before you you while we charge her and then you cut her down. I know you can't talk but I will know if you accept it'.

His lightsaber wouldn't be of any use in any case: he was able to neutralize small calibre shots (portable arms size, from blasters to high velocity slug thrower) with his saber, and maybe deactivate one or two missiles size projectiles, but this much firepower? He needed the Force.

Plus he didn't want to know what would happen against six adversaries like the one beside him and above him.  
He had underestimated how much powerful they were.

Then his emphatic senses, which now were in overdrive trying to recognize where the weapons would strike, heard the emotions from the poor fellow beside him:

 _PAINRAGEACCEPTANCEREGRETGOODPLANPENITENCYWAITINGSIGNAL_

Okay. Oookaaaay…An opening at any moment bitch…

'Now you shall face the wrath of the King! Gate of Baby-'  
NOW!

With a quick movement of his hand, Galen broke the already damaged lamp with the Force, making Gilgamesh lose her footing for a moment, while the weapons remained in the ripples.

At that moment, the two makeshift allies charged at her, with Galen preparing himself to predict where the weapons would strike and raise the weapons to ten past ten to do a Force Bubble against the-

The storm of blades and maces which fell upon them at that moment, which nearly made Galen fall but they continued.

When a knife, which passed unnoticed by his own defences, almost cut penetrated his throat, they continued.

When an explosion, caused by a lance he fortunately predicted was aggressive, nearly made the mad knight fly even when protected, they endured.

When the storm became hurricane, when the proud confidence became enraged concern, when the violent rage became corrupted by a tint of fear, they persevered.

Finally, when it seemed that an hour passed in those ten seconds of charge and when they were around fifteen feet from Gilgamesh, Galen prepared himself both mentally and physically and then shouted:

'Attack now!'

At the same moment he _Pushed_ with all his might, knocking out of the way the weapons, either fired or ready to be fired, and making Gilgamesh flinch.

An instant after he shouted, the black knight was already on Gilgamesh, who looked helpless.

 _Looked_.

Because, in a way that Galen couldn't have thought or prevented, two golden ripples opened behind the knight, at least ten feet from the ground, with two swords, a rapier and a long sword, already flying to the helpless back of the knight.

There was no time to concentrate an knock them out of the way, because the ripples behind Gilgamesh continued to fire weapons at them, and the mental strain was becoming unbearable.

He couldn't even tell to his makeshift ally to dodge, because there wouldn't be any more occasion like this one and if Gilgamesh could create the ripples even behind them, then they would be bantha poudou if they retreated.

So he bet on the only thing which had the chance to save the goat and the cabbages:

 _*FFFSHHHH*_

A blinding blue blade came from the metallic hilt, and Galen used that blade, with a mastery coming only from experience, to knock out the weapons from their path.

Only that they weren't knocked out.

They were destroyed.

The rapier, the first in his reach, was cut down at the middle of the length, while the long sword lost the whole part of its handle.

And both, when they took these damages, became blue particles and vanished.

' _OOOOFF!'_

Then the mental strain stopped, just when his concentration was broken, and when he turned he found the knight in a strike-given position, while Gilgamesh-

*TUNK!*

-Crashed on a container at the other end, her shirt cut at the shoulder.  
And only a light gash at the same shoulder.

HOW!?

Galen completely turned, while the mad knight roared at the slightly injured foe, who, with a grunt, removed herself from the metallic prison.

Another ripple appeared just beside the woman, pointing down to her now open hand, and from it came a sealed vial, which she downed.

And now even the small gash is gone. Splendid.

Then an alarm went off in his head, and all around them it became gold.  
Spears, axes, rapiers, swords, scimitars, all bladed weapons got out forming a circle, closed only by the woman.

Galen put his back to the mad Knight back, who himself prepared with his weapons, while for the first time since being summoned the young Jedi felt a real fear for himself.

Then he heard the woman's calmly enraged voice, and that fear became anger:

'I will kill, mad dog, for having injured me. No desire will be granted, no ambition fulfilled, no pray answered, only oblivion will be given to you. You, rebellious dog, I will enslave you, your only desires will be my own, your only freedoms will be to live for me and your only emotion will be devotion to me. And, when I tire myself of you, I will kill you, like the dog you are. This I declare'.

Galen could feel his eyes burn, like every time they became sulphuric, while he let the anger grow.

 _The peace is a lie, there is only passion._

He needed it. He knew that the Dark Side was stronger than the Light, but much more chaotic and corruptive.

 _Through passion, I gain strength._

But how would he live through this if he didn't get the most power possible?

 _Through strength, I gain power_ _._

He would become one with the Force, as he wanted, but there was something wrong, and he had promised to help.

 _Through power, I gain victory._

How would Juno react, if he broke his word again? How would Juno react, if he let himself be enslaved again? How would Juno react, if he didn't help those in need?

 _Through victory, I destroy my chains._

For Juno, he had disobeyed his Master words. For Juno, he had fought against the Dark Lord. For Juno, he had changed himself.  
So, for her and for himself, he would become the monster again.

For her and for himself he would join the Dark Side, even if temporally.

For her and for himself he would become _fury._

 _THE FORCE SHALL FREE-_

'How dare you, Tokiomi, to think that someone like you could appease my anger with a sermon? Your insolence is quite presumptuous' said Gilgamesh annoyed, making Galen snap out of his Sith immersion when the ripples vanished, along with her anger.

Galen tried to suppress his anger, almost completely out of control, while around him dust was blown away and stones of concrete flew around, while Gilgamesh said:

'Remember my words, mongrels, and follow this order: cut down your number the next time we will encounter. I, as the King, will not tolerate anything less than a real hero when we fight the next time. And you, rebellious dog, remember what I said' then, showing her back to Galen, the woman vanished in golden particles.

Now Galen, having the reason of his anger, his _passion_ , gone, while deactivating his saber felt drained.

Mentally drained; he had just prepared himself to go in Sith mode willingly, and having the trigger going away so suddenly was tiring, while just moment before having deflected hundreds, if not thousands by the scorch marks around and the other 'Servants' at the ready, of weapons.

Physically tired: even meditating to become _fury_ was more than a bit tiring for him, and he had just used intensive abilities just after a wound, but the most was caused by his _fury_.

'It seems that Goldie is as strong as the legends say' were first words he heard from Jolty after a few moments, which he had used to move to the side of a container and take a breath.

With a smirk, which didn't show his tiredness, Galen turned his head to the 'Servant' and asked sardonically:

'Oi Jolty, what are we, chopped liver? I know that Blondie was powerful, but I don't think that you would have done better against her'

'Ohoh! I like your spirit, boy, and you are able to back it as well!'

'It was indeed an outstanding show of power, Caster' added politely Queenie, who shouldn't if she didn't want him to blu-

 _PUNISHEMENTSORROWSORRYSORRYSORRYREGRETINEEDMYPENANCYFORWHATIHAVEDONEPUNISHMENTNOW_

' _AR-THUU-UUUR!'_

While Galen was shaken by the sudden emotional change, the mad Knight charged at Saber with the two weapons he still had from the previous fight, while she looked surprised by this sudden attack, but she was able to deflect the hit and try to counter attack the knight, but he had already retreated and, with a powerful throw, both the weapons flew towards Saber at high speed.

Saber only pointed her sword forwards and shouted:

' **Strike air: Hammer of the Wind God!'**

The only thing that Galen knew was that one of the two weapons flew a _bit_ too much close to his head for his tastes, and if it would have gone a bit more to the left he would have moved, while the other up to the sky, only to be stopped by a lazy movement from Galen's hand, whom headache now had receded enough to let him use the Force in a normal manner.

And along with the two weapons, even the black knight flew back, only to retake his feet on Earth, pick up a seven feet pole from the ground, the remaining of the lamp he had destroyed, and charge again with the now black with red veins makeshift weapon, and the fight began anew.

'So everything he picks up becomes his Noble Phantasm, um?' said Jolty, while Saber was able to divert the attacks made by the knight but not to take the initiative again.

'It seems so, Jolty' replied Galen, trying to restrain himself to not going to help Queenie, who now was showing more than a bit of trouble to stay behind the armoured knight, who seemed faster and stronger than her.

' _Starkiller, why aren't you going to help Saber?'_ asked the White Lady through the bond, looking a bit concerned at the fight, while Saber had seemingly found the right tactic and now was counterattacking.

' _It would seem strange that I go to help the enemy of the one I fought with, wouldn't it? It would seem like we had agreed before to it or that I am-'_ Pretty Boy charged in the middle of the fight and cut through the pole the knight was using, splitting it in half, with the red spear.

'-an idiot' said aloud Galen, looking at the scene with wide eyes.

An idiot.

'I apologise, Berseker, but Saber had a previous engagement with me, so I can't let you keep on with this farce'

…And honourable idiot, but an idiot nonetheless.

A good type of idiot like Galen himself, at least.

' _ **What are you doing, Lancer?! This is the perfect chance to cut Saber down!'**_ the grating voice of the Archi-bald rang unpleasant and displeased in his hears, along with those of the others.

'The fight with Saber is a battle that I, Diarmuid ua Duibhne gambled my honour on' shouted Pretty boy with decision, his eyes looking firm at the point where the Archi-bald probably was.

An honourable idiot with whom Galen would probably fight along.

'I'll show you how I will kill that mad dog, therefore, my Lord, let me duel honourable with Saber!'

' _ **No.'**_ said with a… familiar tone… the Archi-bald, for then ordering: _ **'I command you with the Command Seal to assist Berseker in killing Saber'**_

Galen could feel the Force pulse that moment, which made his eyes widen for then turning to stare at Lancer's reaction.

The red spear inverted direction and poised to strike Saber, who was unprepared for it and was nearly hit, saved only by an instinctual deflection using the guard of the sword, only to be thrown like a ball by a raging knight, who had just taken one half of the pole Lancer had cut in half and used it like a long sword, with a stance similar to the seventh.

But Galen wasn't paying much attention to the fight this time, but to one fighter in particular.

Lancer's face was now the image of self disgust, humiliation and anger towards himself, and made Galen anger spike towards the _man_ on that roof, who he could feel was feeling _satisfied_ at how he was using another conscientious being.

But what made Galen move was a moan coming from Lancer when he was preparing to attack along with the knight, so low in volume that almost went unnoticed by him:

'Saber…I'm…sorry'

Galen jumped in the fray, exactly between Saber and Lancer, and, with a cry of rage, he put his hands forward.

Arcs of lighting flew forward, the Force powered by his own anger, and hit the two charging Servant, making the mad knight howl in pain and the compelled knight shield himself, a green Force shield forming when the lightning struck.

But Galen didn't stop, he let all the fury, the rage, the just anger he had felt before flow into the arcs, and after a few moments the green shield flickered and then shut down, and muted growls of pain joined the deranged ones made by the mad knight.

After twenty seconds, which felt minutes for Galen, he stopped making the Force flow into the lightnings and retreated beside Saber, who was looking at him surprised, but he could feel thankfulness in her, while the two 'Servants' fell down, the mad knight put in a much more sorry state, the smell of burnt flesh coming from the black knight, than the spear user, who had only been subject of it for some istants.

Then Galen talked, his voice calm and steady like a statement of fact or a drawn blade, while he summoned the hilt of his lightsaber:'I can't let this insult to the freedom going any longer, 'Master' of Lancer. If you don't retreat' *Snap* *FSHHHHH*' **I will kill you** ' ended Galen with voice of beast, the blue blade pointing exactly where the 'Master' was, while his eyes became yellow under the cape.

He noticed how Lancer glared at him when he said the last words, but at that moment he didn't understand the reason of that anger.

Only after the reason would come clear to him.

Then the only non fighter talked, his voice hard and serious:'I, the King of conquerors, declare this: if you don't retreat now, I will join the fight, and you _will_ lose, Master of Lancer. Let your partner follow his desire, and retreat from the fight with his honour intact. If not, I shall follow my words' at the end of those words, Galen could feel how the chariot was brimming with the Force, while sparks were randomly flying around, as a visible show that the threat he given was real.

'… _ **Retreat, Lancer. That is enough for tonight'**_ came the order from the 'Master', which made Lancer sigh in relief and lower his red spear, and thanked:

'I give you my thanks, King of Conquerors, and to you, Caster, for having stopped me from sullying my honour with unjust actions against a single foe'

Galen only nodded, looking at the still kneeling black knight while lowering his weapon, while Jolty grinned widely and exclaimed:

'The beauty of the battlefield is my reward, now go and prepare yourself, the War is only at the beginning!'

'I will follow your advice. At our next duel, Saber' were the last words given by Pretty Boy before vanishing himself.

 _SORROWPAINPAINPAINNEEDPUNISHMENTFORMYSINSFORBETRAYALTOKING_

These were the last thoughts given by the mad knight before vanishing himself, leaving only the five on the ground, the two on the tower and the Crow.

' _Assassin has just vanished, it seems that Kotomine has decided that he had enough informations'_.

Who was no longer there, it seemed.

'Well boy, how did it seem your entering to war?' shouted Jolty, his hand slapping the back of Youngling, much to his displeasure, but Galen, in the solitude of his mind, thought:

 _This will be much harder than I thought_

 _ **Was it horrible? Was it good? Review, follow and flame, and to the next chapter (Iris will be in the start of the next chapter), and the next publication will be the Grey king (when I will start to write that chapter. I'm dead)**_

 _ **Remember to look at the poll in the profile and to the next time**_

 _ **CIAOOOOOOOO!**_

 _ ***schiva frutta* OHI, E BASTA!**_


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